Dentures are never covered under Medicare.
Medicare does not provide coverage for ordinary dental care. Some private Medicare plans offer such coverage. However, the federal Medicare program does not offer dental coverage except in a few situations where dental problems have contributed to other medical conditions.
Misconceptions
Medicare will never pay for dentures. It will pay for dental procedures needed to treat some medical conditions during a hospital stay. However, the cost of dentures does not qualify under that allowance.
History
The U.S. Congress passed Medicare in 1965. Section 1862(a)(12) of the enabling legislation excluded dental coverage from the covered services and procedures. In 1980, Congress amended that section to provide for the coverage of some dental services. The amendment did not include coverage for dentures.
Solutions
One solution to the lack of dentures coverage in Medicare is to purchase a private dental insurance policy. Another option is to purchase a Medicare Advantage Plan from a private insurance company. Some of these private plans will allow you to add dental coverage, including benefits for dentures.
Tags: dental coverage, medical conditions, provide coverage
