[Joanna]

my dad has recently retired. What do retirees do for dental insurance? is dental covered under Medicare?Any advice?

“What are the best dental insurance options available for retirees? I’m particularly interested in understanding what Medicare covers, if anything, when it comes to dental care.

Does Medicare offer any dental benefits, or should retirees explore separate dental insurance plans?

If so, what are some good options to consider?

I’d love to hear about personal experiences or advice on what has worked best for other retirees.”

[Brian]

Dental insurance is not really “insurance,” think of it more as a “discount plan.”

The primary reason is that even the best plans tend to have a maximum payout of around $2,000 per year, so it does not help much with “worst case scenarios.”

Best to just shop around for a quality dentist who offers a cash pay discount.

[Laura]

As someone who works in the dental field with this age group specifically-I would definitely see if their dentist of choice has either a cash discount or membership program.

Many offices are going out of network with insurance due to how much they cut our reimbursement (never mind how much we have to chase them).

This way they can keep a trusted provider and not have to switch due to insurance coverage (which is often not that great). Good luck!

[Jeremy]

Some local dentists in my area offer their own in house insurance. You pay a monthly fee and you get X rays, two cleanings a year plus deep discounts on their services.

Maybe call around and see if this is offered in your area.

[Megan]

My parents thought through worse case dental emergencies (that wouldn’t then be into medical) and decided to cash flow dental.

[Shawn]

Medicare does not cover dental. Such as normal cleanings, filings etc. Medicare may cover certain dental procedures if admitted as an inpatient because of an underlying medical condition

[Rick]

Most dental plans are prepaid discount plans. The pre tax nature if done via work cafeteria plan is nice but outside of that…ehh they are be fairly easily replicated via non employer based discount options or talking to a hand full of dental practices in the area and finding one with a solid cash based payment discount option.

It does make sense though to have some extra $$ set aside in a savings account as you will have a big expense every now and then and few people put their savings from a lack of dental plan into a savings account on a monthly basis so you may need it funded proactively as a lump sum up front.

[Deedi]

Ok a worst case senario tip- if you have an infection bad enough to require IV antibiotics you can get treatment through medical at a hospital.

If the teeth causing the infection are bad and need to be pulled you can get them pulled at the hospital under medical.

The hospital would have to have an oral/maxillofacial surgeon(OMFS) so choose facilities wisely.

This admittedly is only part of the problem but when considering worst case getting some of the treatment covered under medical could save a chunk of the expenses.

Can also look for dental college to get lower cost services. And keep in mind some MC Advantage plans my have some dental/denture coverage as a way to entice people to select their plan so consider this during open enrollment periods if you think it may be needed in the next year.

[Kay]

I use United Healthcare HMO which covers my dental and vision with no additional cost to me other than what Medicare automatically deducts from my SS.

[Wendi]

Medicare doesn’t cover dental. There are some Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans that offer dental for an additional charge.

But some just cash flow as Megan mentioned.

[Author]

Posts