Dental coverage in Medicare Advantage plans: Nationwide market landscape, 2019 update

Dental services are not included in standard Medicare benefits, leaving most seniors and Medicare recipients facing a dental coverage gap. Part C Medicare Advantage (MA) plans are helping to fill that gap by covering some dental services as supplemental benefits. These MA dental benefits can range from basic preventive dental care to comprehensive coverage of all major dental service categories, and they can come as a value-added "free benefit" in zero-premium MA plans or embedded in MA plans with premiums. This article, using publicly available CMS data, explores the current landscape of dental benefits offered in MA plans, discussing the ramifications for insurers and consumers alike.