One of the biggest changes ever proposed to Medicare is paving the way for Congress, and if it happens, and President Biden signs it into law, it would put a smile on tens of millions of beneficiaries, literally.
The change would add dental benefits to Medicare for the first time since the major federal program was launched in 1965. It would also add benefits for vision and hearing, also for the first time.
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As many seniors know, Medicare generally does not cover so-called “head problems”: eyes, ears, and mouth. Glasses, contact lenses, hearing aids, exams, and dental procedures are areas that contribute to rising health care costs, forcing some seniors to make difficult decisions about what they can and cannot afford.
It seems obvious that these things should have been part of Medicare from the beginning, when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Medicare Act. It was called, according to LBJ, a health insurance program for the elderly; he also established Medicaid, a health insurance program for the poor.
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So what happened? The example of dental care tells the story. The reason he was excluded from Medicare more than half a century ago, reports the New York News, it is due to the opposition of the American Dental Association (ADA). It has long been opposed to a dental benefit, for fear that Medicare will not pay dentists enough for the care they provide. The ADA’s political position to date reflects this: “Oral care for adults aged 65 and over depends on acceptable and sustainable funding for such care.”
This is not irrational. Like anyone else, dentists want to receive reasonable value for the service they offer and dentistry (a highly skilled profession) is not cheap. The ADA has its own political solution: it means testing dental care, which would provide benefits to those who cannot afford to pay.
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“Our focus is on people who don’t go to the dentist,” said Michael Graham, the association’s senior vice president of government and public affairs. Time.
And millions don’t go there. Nearly half of Americans 65 and older have not visited a dentist in the past year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC adds that nearly one in five has lost all natural teeth.
Don’t think this is just a cosmetic issue. According to the Mayo Clinic, dental problems can lead to major and life-threatening health problems, including cardiovascular disease and pneumonia. He adds that common problems in old age such as diabetes, osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s disease can damage oral health.
Why is this happening? Because healthy teeth and gums — and proper care — act as carriers for the rest of the body, preventing the bacteria that can cause infections and the problems mentioned above.
Medicare expansion is a winning political issue. A Morning Consult poll in late June said 84% of Americans, including more than three-quarters of Republicans, support it.
But don’t think that lawmakers — usually eager to hand out money to voters — will work automatically. This is because the Medicare expansion plan is part of a gigantic $ 3.5 trillion spending proposal that also includes a wide range of things that are not so popular among Republicans, from universal preschoolers. and two years of free college community up to a variety of clean energy and climate programs.
This giant spending plan was barely approved by the House earlier this month by a narrow vote of 220-212 votes. In the Senate it would need the 50 Democratic votes (which is not guaranteed), plus the vote of Vice President Kamala Harris, to go through what is known as “reconciliation,” which means legislation can be passed by a simple majority of votes. .