Does Medicare cover Dental Implants?

Are you using Medicare to your advantage?

Teju Bhat
Zentist
Published in
2 min readNov 16, 2017

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Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people who are 65 and above, those with disabilities or with End-Stage Renal Disease. If you are under Medicare coverage, you might already be enrolled in the Original Medicare plan(Part A and Part B).

Medicare coverage is divided into four parts

Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) — You automatically apply for Medicare when you apply for Social Security Number. It covers only hospital-related costs.

Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance)- If you are eligible for part A, you have the option of selecting part B coverage at a monthly premium. It covers certain doctors’ services, outpatient care, medical supplies, and preventive services.

Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage)- Private insurance companies contract with Medicare to provide Part A and Part B benefits in addition to other benefits such as dental and vision care. It also covers options not covered by Parts A and B.

Medicare Part D (Prescription drug coverage)- It is an optional insurance program that charges a monthly fee in exchange for prescription drug coverage.

Medicare (Parts A and B) typically doesn’t cover routine dental services such as oral examinations, cleanings, restorations, extractions, and implants. The only dental service covered under the original plan is for medically necessary care. For instance, Medicare covers oral cancer, fracture of the jaw or an oral examination prior to a kidney transplant or heart valve replacement surgery. Medicare also covers dental-related hospitalizations. If you have a dental infection and your tooth needs to be extracted, Medicare will cover extraction but it will not cover replacement of the tooth.

Medicare Advantage Plan (Medicare Part C) covers the original plan along with some additional benefits such as dental and vision care. Members can choose from a network of qualified providers. The plan coverage and cost vary and depend on your location. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, check with your plan provider to see what dental services may be covered.

Regardless of whether you have Medicare original plan or advantage plan, If you’re tired of searching ‘dental implants cost’ and ‘dental care near me’, visit Zentist.io for affordable dental implant treatment options.

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Teju Bhat
Zentist
Writer for

Dental Strategist. Redesigning dental care. On a mission to make dental care affordable and transparent.