Health Aff (Millwood). 2026 Aug;45(8):888-896. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2025.01470.
ABSTRACT
Medicare Advantage (MA) has become a major source of dental coverage for older US adults. However, little is known about enrollment in plans with dental coverage or about the scope and continued availability of coverage over time. Using Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Plan Benefit Package and enrollment data, we examined county-level variation in dental plan enrollment, generosity of benefits, and continuity of dental plan availability across conventional MA plans and MA Special Needs Plans (SNPs) during the period 2010-25. Enrollment in conventional MA plans with any dental benefits rose from 50.3 percent in 2010 to 97.1 percent in 2025. Enrollment in SNPs with dental benefits increased from 68.6 percent to 93.5 percent during this period. Among plans continuously available for at least five years, benefit generosity rose after 2019, but plan continuity declined after 2021 as a result of plan exits and the withdrawal of dental benefits. Net losses of insurers offering dental benefits in conventional MA plans were more likely in counties with relatively high percentages of Black and Hispanic residents, in dental Health Professional Shortage Areas, and in areas with midlevel social deprivation. These findings underscore the need for strong oversight of MA dental benefits and strategies to achieve sustained and equitable access to dental coverage.
PMID:42546242 | DOI:10.1377/hlthaff.2025.01470
