Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has long advocated for health care coverage through Medicare, has a new goal of expanding dental coverage to all Americans.
In May, the Vermont Independent introduced the Comprehensive Dental Care Act of 2024, a bill to expand dental coverage through Medicare, Medicaid and the Veterans Administration. Legislation before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, would create federal funding to increase the number of dentists, dental hygienists and dentists in the United States, in part , by training dental students in public housing.
Also:Imagine if the government provided dental care. A new federal law could make that a reality.
Sanders recently spoke extensively with USA TODAY about the nation’s dental care system and why he is pushing for an expansion for more Americans. The following are excerpts from that conversation.
USA TODAY: The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions that you chair recently held a hearing on dental care in the United States. Why are you highlighting this topic?
Sanders: The first thing we are trying to do is make it clear to the American people that dental care in America is in crisis. I think most people know that our health care system is broken. It’s incredibly expensive. Millions of people cannot afford insurance. But I think there’s not the same awareness about dental care, and that’s what this case was about. The truth is that dental care in America is very expensive. Many dentists do not accept Medicaid reimbursement because it is too low or for other reasons. We don’t have enough dentists in America, and we especially don’t have dentists in many underserved areas. So I think on Park Avenue in New York City you probably have a lot of dentists. But in rural areas, in low-income areas, you don’t have dentists.
USA TODAY: How has lack of access to dental care affected vulnerable people?
Sanders: The result of that is that 40% of American children have tooth decay by the time they reach Kindergarten, which is pretty amazing. And nearly one in five adults in America have lost all of their natural teeth, and many of them cannot afford dentures. I met some people in Vermont (who) had sad front teeth in their mouths. You’re out trying to get a job without the front teeth in your mouth! It’s hard to do. Millions of people are in that situation too. It’s unbelievable that in the United States of America, we have situations where volunteer dentists meet (with) people who have camped out for hours or stayed overnight in order to extract teeth because they have been in pain for years. So clearly, we need fundamental changes in the way we do dental care in this country. In my opinion, health care is a human right, not a privilege. And that’s true of dental care.
USA TODAY: For those who have dental insurance, do you think it provides enough coverage?
Sanders: If you have serious dental work to be done – an implant, a root canal – I suspect that for many people, their insurance pays only a fraction of the cost. Another thing to look at, which is never discussed, is the high cost of dental care. You walk into the dentist’s office, and the dentist will say you need A, B, C and D. You say, ‘Well doctor, if that’s what you think I need.’ And after a week, you get a $5,000 loan. So the question, not unlike health care, why is dental care so expensive?
USA TODAY: The Affordable Care Act extended coverage for medical care to more Americans. Why doesn’t dental care get the same attention?
Sanders: America’s health care system is broken. It doesn’t work well. It’s cruel. The job of the American health care system is not to provide health care or dental care to everyone. It is to make huge profits for insurance companies, drug companies, and in many cases, suppliers. That’s its job. And in that way, it works very well. But it is failing ordinary Americans in an embarrassing way. We are the only major country on Earth that does not guarantee universal health care.
USA TODAY: You introduced the Comprehensive Dental Care Reform Act of 2024 that would expand dental coverage to Medicare, Medicaid and the Veterans Administration. What are the possibilities for this law? And are there small, incremental steps that can be taken in lieu of this drastic charge?
Sanders: The VA, in my opinion, provides the best health care to our veterans, which they deserve. For whatever reason in the VA, as a health care system, dental care is not considered part of health care. So we are experimenting and we may have pilot projects to start in that direction. Indeed, all the major service organizations such as the American Legion, VFW and other major veteran groups support what I am trying to do to expand dental care to the VA. I’ve seen polls that say more than 90% of Americans – an astronomical number – want to see Medicare expanded to cover dental, hearing and vision. It is a very popular idea. I introduced legislation to do that. We had it on Build Back Better recently. It’s something that the American people want and need for all the reasons we’ve been talking about.
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