In Major Milestone, Medicare to Cover Additional Dental Treatments

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) just announced that Medicare will begin making  payment in 2023 for dental services necessary to identify and eliminate oral and dental infections prior to, and contemporaneously with, organ transplant, cardiac valve replacement, and  valvuloplasty procedures. The agency specifically recognizes that dental services may be  “inextricably linked, substantially related and integral to” the clinical success of those covered medical treatments. In 2024, Medicare will implement similar coverage for dental care required in the context of head and neck cancer treatment.

For services to be covered by Medicare, they must be performed by a Medicare participating provider. As part of the same final rule, the agency is establishing an annual process “to review public input on other circumstances when payment for dental services may be allowed.” Having long advocated for expanded Medicare coverage of oral health, the Center for Medicare Advocacy applauds and thanks the agency for taking this important step toward improving patient outcomes, health equity, and oral and overall health care for Medicare beneficiaries.

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