Lack of routine dental care can result in complications and high-cost emergency department visits. Yet almost two-thirds of Medicare recipients, 37 million people, don’t have dental coverage, according to a recent report from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF).
As a result of not having coverage, 49% of those surveyed said they had not been to the dentist in the past year. And for those that did see a dentist, 19% spent more than $1,000 out of pocket.
Specifically by demographic, 71% of black Medicare recipients, 65% of Hispanic Medicare recipients, 70% of low-income enrollees and 59% of those living in rural areas did not have a dental visit over the past year.
Source: KFF: Two-thirds of Medicare recipients lack dental coverage / Fierce Healthcare