In A State Of Decay |
Oregon is not alone in its tendency to overlook the oral health care needs of its elderly.
According to a September report by Oral Health America entitled “A State of Decay: The Oral Health of Older Americans”, too many of the elderly in this country suffer from chronic oral pain and periodontal disease. “When it comes to (this) vulnerable population”, the report states, “the country is flat-out failing”. In their opinion, limited or nonexistent access to oral health care poses “one of the greatest crises for the health and well being of America’s elderly”. Oral Health America is a national non-profit advocacy group that has been dedicated to improving oral health for more than 40 years.
With private dental coverage often
ending at retirement, and Medicare generally not including dental services,
most older Americans pay out-of-pocket for their oral health care. Many
low-income elderly depend on Medicaid, but the scope of services has
declined with recent state budget shortfalls. Only eight states
currently provide full Medicaid dental benefits to adults, and nine
states have no such coverage, said Conan Davis, chief dental officer
for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
This report shows that all but 10 states and the District of Columbia
got a grade of F for failing to provide dental insurance to people over
65. The average national grade for senior dental care comes in at a
“D”. Among other things, this grade reflects specific
findings that show:
-
Medicare does not provide a dental benefit, and as few as 20% of older adults have private dental insurance (grade: D),
- Medicaid dental benefits are predominantly limited in scope, oftentimes covering only emergency services (grade: D+), and
- State Medicaid programs routinely do not cover dental procedures or reimburse at rates below the 10th percentile of market-based fees (grade: F).
This study determined that Oregon earned a “D” in overall older adult coverage, a “C” on the specific services covered and a “D-" on overall reimbursement rates and an “F” on full upper dentures. By comparison, Washington State earned grades of “D” for overall coverage, “A” on services covered, and “F” on reimbursement rates in general and “F” specifically on full upper dentures.
Despite the states' cash crunch, advocates are pushing for Medicaid dental coverage to at least be extended to the aged, blind and disabled, which Oral Health America estimated would cost around $1 billion.
A copy of this report can be obtained in its entirety free of charge by visiting the Oral Health America website at www.oralhealthamerica.org.