Although Medicare benefits can be fairly comprehensive, there are some things that Medicare plans don not cover. In fact there are a myriad of things not covered by Medicare. Dental coverage for example, is not directly offered by Medicare. However, there are Medicare supplemental insurance programs offered through private insurance companies, that do offer dental coverage.
Medicare dental coverage has been discussed as an option by various individuals that were seeking Medicare reform. However, the addition cost of Medicare dental coverage would be cost prohibitive for the Medicare program, as they already have budget issues caused by the amount of people on Medicare and the likely significant increase in those numbers in the coming years.
Medicare dental coverage which can be purchased as a supplemental medicare coverage, can be rather expensive, depending on the type of coverage. For example, Medicare dental coverage which covers yearly exams and cleaning, would be fairly inexpensive. However, supplemental insurance which would have comprehensive dental coverage may be very expensive.
There are various options for those seeking Dental coverage as a supplement to Medicare. For example, there is the Medicare Advantage plan which adds additional benefits for those already offered through Medicare. While these plans are less expensive than many private plans, individuals must prove that they qualify for Medicare before they can take advantage of the reduced cost supplemental insurance plans.