Benefits Breakdown: What is the $1000 Medicare Dental Benefit?

Even if you don’t live in an area where new Medicare dental perks are offered, help is still available. Call (800) 950-0608 to speak with a licensed agent who can help you find Medicare plans near you that meet your needs.

Does Medicare Cover Dental Care?

If you’re currently enrolled in Original Medicare and Original Medicare only, the headline of this article may seem a little confusing. “Does Medicare cover dental care?”, you may be asking yourself. Others of you may be asking, “Since when did Medicare start covering dental care?”

Original Medicare doesn’t cover dental care. Medicare Advantage plans, however, offer coverage for dental care as part of a comprehensive package that includes coverage for:

• Hospital care
• Medical care
• Vision care
• Hearing care

This means that if you need specific dental services, such as cleanings, dental implants, tooth extractions, fillings, dentures, or any other dental service, and you are a Medicare beneficiary with a Medicare Advantage dental plan, these dental services may be covered under your Medicare Advantage plan. As of late, though, Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in certain areas have seen ads about a $1,000 dental care benefit that may be available to them. If you’ve seen these ads, you’re probably wondering if you can take advantage of this new $1,000 dental benefit.

While the new $1,000 dental benefit exists, the truth surrounding it is a little more complicated than it may seem. Like many specialized benefits, how you can take advantage of the $1,000 dental benefit depends on specific variables.

Our Benefits Breakdown series aims to look deeper into new benefits being included in Medicare Advantage plans. Today, we’re going to dig into the new $1,000 Medicare dental benefit.

Medicare Advantage Plans Usually Offer Some Form of Dental Coverage

Those of you who are a current Medicare beneficiary or currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan are probably already able to take advantage of certain dental benefits. Most Medicare Advantage plans offered around the country offer coverage for dental care to some extent.

Many of the nation’s top providers of health insurance plans, including Medicare Advantage, offer Medicare Advantage plans that provide dental coverage. If you’re already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, contact your insurer to find out whether or not they cover dental care. If you aren’t enrolled in a plan and want to find out whether or not Medicare plans near you offer dental coverage, use our free plan finder to discover and compare available Medicare plans in your area.

So, while we know that Medicare plans offer dental care coverage, that still doesn’t exactly answer questions about the $1,000 dental benefit. Let’s dive a little deeper into the new benefit, what it covers, and where you may be able to find it.

The New $1,000 Dental Benefit is Available on a Very Limited Basis

If you’re looking to take advantage of the new $1,000 dental benefit, you’ll need to either relocate or change your plan. This benefit is available through the Aetna Better Health plan, and is available only to beneficiaries in Louisiana. In essence, it is an Aetna dental benefit, and as the Aetna Better Health plan is a Medicaid plan, you’ll need to be dually eligible, which means eligible to receive both Medicare and Medicaid benefits, to qualify.

In order to be considered dually eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, you must:

• Meet the income requirements in your state for Medicaid
• Be eligible for Medicare benefits as a result of age or of illness or disability

Do you have extra questions regarding your eligibility to use the new $1,000 dental benefit? If you’re not currently enrolled in the Better Health plan through Aetna and are a resident of the state of Louisiana, give our licensed insurance agents a call today. They can help you understand “dually eligible” status and can help you find a Medicare plan near you that may either give you access to the Aetna dental benefit, or offer dental coverage that’s just as beneficial to you.

What If I Don’t Qualify For the New Medicare Dental Benefits?

The criteria you’ll need to meet to use the new $1,000 dental benefit is very particular. It’s truly a benefit that depends on where you live and your eligibility to enroll in certain plans. Most Americans who are able to enroll in Medicare won’t be able to take advantage of the new Medicare dental benefit because of the location requirements alone.

If you don’t qualify to enroll in a plan that features the new Medicare dental benefit, don’t worry. There’s always a Medicare plan out there with dental benefits that will meet your needs. To look for Medicare plans with comprehensive dental coverage, enter your zip code into our free plan finder or speak with one of our friendly licensed agents to begin finding and comparing Medicare plans near you. We’re always happy to help!