Medicare rarely covers dental surgery..
Medicare is a federal program that provides health insurance coverage for the elderly and disabled. A study conducted by the University at Buffalo's School of Dental Medicine found that more than half of the senior citizens surveyed reported cost as a barrier to receiving dental care. Medicare coverage for dental surgery would help to ease that burden.
Medicare Part A
Medicare Part A covers inpatient hospital care. With very few exceptions, it does not cover dental surgery.
Medicare Part B
Medicare Part B covers outpatient medical care, like visits to a doctor's office and outpatient tests. With very few exceptions, it does not cover dental surgery. It covers no routine dental care, like cleanings or fillings.
Exceptions
Medicare Part A or B will cover dental surgery in a few rare instances. For instance, Medicare covers surgery to extract teeth to prepare the jaw for radiation treatments. Medicare also covers dental surgery if it is a necessary part of other treatment, such as surgery to repair a fractured jaw.
Medicare Part C
Medicare Part C includes a number of Medicare Advantage Plans that Medicare recipients may choose to sign up. Some of these plans cover dental surgery and other dental care.
For More Information
If you need dental surgery and want to know if it is covered by Medicare, call the Medicare help line at 800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227) for more information. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, call the number on your insurance card.
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