senbobcaseydpa

Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and the Senate Special Committee on Aging recently introduced the Medicare and Medicaid Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act of 2019, S.1423. This represents another milestone in recent efforts to underscore the need for improved coverage of oral health benefits in public health care programs. 

S.1423 would add a dental benefit to Part B of the Medicare program, ensuring seniors and people with disabilities have access to the dental services they need to manage chronic conditions and support their oral and overall health. It would also provide increased reimbursement to states that choose to cover adult dental benefits in their Medicaid program.

Because adult dental benefits are currently optional for state Medicaid programs, S.1423 would provide a financial incentive for states to cover the comprehensive dental services people with Medicaid coverage need. This would also open up an opportunity for oral health advocates to stress the importance and cost effectiveness of dental benefits in their states’ Medicaid program.

The undersigned national partners in the Oral Health Progress and Equity Network (OPEN) are excited to see S.1423, which enhances the public perception of oral health as integral for overall health, integrates dental benefits with other health coverage, and opens the door for millions of Americans to access the care they need. This bill adds more energy to the on-going conversation about the importance of adult and older adult oral health. Thank you all for your continued work on this issue!

From your friends at,

• Community Catalyst
• Families USA
• American Dental Hygienists’ Association
• DentaQuest Partnership for Oral Health Advancement
• Justice in Aging
• Center for Medicare Advocacy
• Children’s Dental Health Project

This content originally appeared as a notice to members of the Oral Health Progress and Equity Network (OPEN). For more information on OPEN, visit​ http://www.oralhealth.network/.