Medicare Dental Benefits Will Reduce Health Disparities

My organization is trying to build the case with policy makers that providing oral health coverage in Medicare will reduce health disparities and the many disease burdens associated with unmet oral health needs among older persons and disabled adults. We are also trying to build the case with HHS/CMS administrators that expanding the scope of coverage for dental services that are integral to covered medical treatments will improve clinical outcomes and similarly reduce health disparities and disease burden. To these ends, we try to locate and leverage relevant data and statistics, and employ them effectively in strategic messaging and advocacy.