The American Dental Association is leading a group of medical organizations asking lawmakers to expand dental care coverage under Medicaid.
Four things to know:
1. In a July 7 letter, the organizations urged lawmakers to support the Medicaid Dental Benefit Act and the Medicaid Dental Benefits Act of 2021, which would require CMS to cover comprehensive dental care under Medicaid.
2. Apart from the ADA, 16 other organizations signed off on the letter, including the Academy of General Dentistry, Association of Dental Support Organizations, Dental Trade Alliance and the Diverse Dental Society.
3. The letter follows several calls for expanded dental benefits. Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate penned letters at the end of June urging CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to use her authority to expand coverage of medically necessary oral and dental healthcare for eligible Medicare beneficiaries. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the ADA and the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons also asked CMS to expand access to surgical dental services for children and adults with special needs and disabilities.
4. In its proposed calendar year 2023 physician fee schedule released July 7, CMS proposed to expand coverage under Medicare Part B to include services such as dental exams and treatment preceding an organ transplant.