October 2022 - North Carolina Oral Health Collaborative

Background: Medicare and Dental Coverage — Reinforcing a Historic Divide in Care

Medicare is currently only allowed to reimburse for limited dental procedures deemed necessary to treat a covered medical condition. For example, an infected tooth removal may be covered if the patient is about to begin radiation treatment for certain cancers.

The structure as it currently exists ignores several factors, including the fact that oral disease can significantly impact a person’s quality of life, regardless of other medical conditions. It also ignores the oral-systemic connection and the many diseases and health conditions that can result from poor oral health.

Nearly a year ago, NCOHC Director Dr. Zachary Brian published his thoughts on the need for a Medicare Dental Benefit.

In Brian’s words, “Dental coverage under Medicare is sorely needed, but to make Medicare dental benefits anything but universal diminishes the message that public health-minded dentists have fought so hard to advance: that oral health is overall health.”

Any changes to Medicare’s dental coverage outside of the current framework tying oral health care to other medical procedures would need to happen through legislation. Earlier in 2022, Congress appeared on the brink of passing a Medicare dental benefit. The change, championed by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), nearly made it into the Inflation Reduction Act. The provision didn’t make it into the bill, but momentum appears to be building behind a more comprehensive dental benefit.

What Could Change with Dental Benefits Under Medicare, and When?

The proposed changes to Medicare coverage put forward by CMS could take effect as early as January 2023. The changes would include an expansion of covered dental services associated with the success of other covered medical procedures – they wouldn’t include any standalone dental services.

While this expansion is necessary, NCOHC also looks forward to more movement in support of adding a full dental benefit for Medicare participants. The timeline of this type of action is much more uncertain and will depend in no small part on the outcome of the 2022 midterm elections.

A Call to Action

Older adults are too often left out of the conversation when it comes to oral health care, especially preventive oral health care. Our current structures reinforce a mindset that certain oral health outcomes are inevitable.

The reality, however, is that most oral disease is entirely preventable, even for older adults. That means that tooth loss and the need for dentures, for example, are not simply foregone conclusions associated with age. With proper care, anyone can live a full life with their natural teeth.

An expansion of Medicare services to include a dental benefit is a necessary step as we work toward a more equitable future. This change requires legislation at the national level, and it is on all of us to help advocate for this change.

NCOHC, a program of the Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation, works to advance systems-level changes, improving the overall health and well-being of all North Carolinians by increasing access and equity in care. To stay up-to-date and get involved, join us today as a North Carolinian for Change.

There are stories about “midnight raids” in the 1960s depicting disability rights advocates in Berkeley, CA, smashing and re-paving curbs so they would slope down to meet the street at intersections, allowing people in wheelchairs to cross.

These stories aren’t entirely accurate — although some “midnight raids” certainly did happen. What is true is that activism in the 1960s did result in a revolution in accessible infrastructure design, beginning with “curb cuts.”

In 2018, the podcast 99% Invisible covered the history of curb cuts, outlining the story of disability rights activist Ed Roberts, who contracted polio at 14 years old and ended up paralyzed below the neck.

Roberts joined a group of student activists at UC Berkeley called the “Rolling Quads,” who led the charge to get curb cuts installed across the city. While those curb cuts weren’t all installed during so-called midnight raids, they did result from grassroots advocacy targeting the Berkeley City Council.

Fast forward to today and curb cuts are nearly ubiquitous across the US, in part thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act, another outstanding demonstration of the power of policy advocacy.

“The Curb-Cut Effect”

The “curb-cut effect” is now a term used to refer to the many ways addressing one group’s unique needs can benefit everyone. Research has shown that curb cuts positively impact nearly everyone, from mothers with strollers to elderly pedestrians, travelers with suitcases in tow, and more.

There are many examples of curb-cut effects in everyday life. Outlined by the 99% Invisible podcast, captions meant for the hard of hearing help everyone trying to watch a ball game in a noisy bar. Entering a building with your hands full is much easier with automatic door buttons installed for wheelchair users.

The hosts even noted that the football huddle was actually invented when Gallaudet University, a school for the deaf and hard of hearing, played other deaf football teams and wanted to hide their signs from being seen.

The Curb-Cut Effect in Oral Health Policy

In oral health, NCOHC believes the curb-cut effect is present across policy proposals to increase access and equity in care. As the saying goes, “A rising tide lifts all boats.”

Example: Emergency Department Diversion

North Carolinians visit emergency departments (EDs) for dental-related needs at twice the national rate, a trend that accounts for an annual $2 billion in health care bills across the United States.

The cost of care at an emergency department is very high. On top of that, most EDs are not equipped to resolve oral disease — they can only mitigate it. This means that if you visit an ED with a toothache, you are likely to receive an opioid and an antibiotic, resolving pain and swelling temporarily. Until you receive a root canal or other surgical treatment, however, that pain and swelling will return, landing you right back in an ED.

So, for the population making ED visits, the benefits of diversion to an oral health provider are clear: the cost would be lower, and oral disease could actually be resolved, removing the need for repeat visits (and bills).

What about the curb-cut effect in this situation? For one, diversion programs could reduce the demand for ED services, reducing wait times for everyone else who needs emergency care.

Additionally, a large portion of the population visiting EDs for oral health care do not have insurance or the income to pay expensive out-of-pocket bills. Because of this, there is significant opportunity to reduce uncompensated care costs through policies and programs that would divert care to oral health providers.

There are a variety of ways that uncompensated care costs are covered, including billions in public funds. For example, the federal government paid around $21.7 billion to cover uncompensated care costs in 2017. Reducing uncompensated ED oral health care costs could certainly impact the amount of tax dollars doled out each year for these services.

The Need for Equity

As policies are enacted to address specific population needs, equity must always be considered. Looking back at historic policies, even when curb-cut effects happen, inequities persist.

Take the GI Bill as an example. The legislation that provides a range of benefits for those who served in the U.S. military has positive impacts reaching far beyond its target population. In the years after World War II, the GI Bill was partially responsible for an economic boom for contractors as the demand for housing increased alongside a rise in homeownership.

Unfortunately, red lining policies prevented Black veterans and their families from benefitting from the bill, cutting an entire population out of the positive impacts in a way that persists today.

For oral health providers and advocates, two things are important to remember: 1) specific, targeted legislation can have far-reaching benefits, and 2) steps must be taken to ensure that inequities are addressed whenever policy is enacted.