Sen. Bernie Sanders, a longtime supporter of Medicare for All, has made a new goal of expanding dental insurance to all Americans.
In May, the Vermont Independent introduced the Comprehensive Dental Reform Act of 2024, a bill that would expand dental coverage through Medicare, Medicaid and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The bill, which has been introduced in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, would secure federal funding to increase the number of dentists, dental hygienists and dental therapists in the United States by training dental students through community-based dental residencies.
more:Imagine if the government provided dental care. New federal rules could make that a reality.
Sanders recently spoke at length with USA Today about the U.S. dental health care system and why he wants to expand coverage to more Americans. Here are excerpts from the conversation:
USA TodayThe Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, which you chair, recently held a hearing on dental health care in the U.S. Why this topic?
Sanders: The first thing we’re going to do is make it clear to the American public that dental care in America is in crisis. I think most people know that the American health care system is broken. It’s prohibitively expensive. Millions of people can’t get insurance. But I don’t think we have the same understanding when it comes to dental care. And that’s what this hearing is about. The reality is that dental care in America is extremely expensive. Many dentists don’t accept Medicaid reimbursements because they’re too low or whatever. We don’t have enough dentists in America, and many areas that are particularly underserved don’t have dentists. So there are probably a lot of dentists on Park Avenue in New York City. But there aren’t any in rural areas or in low-income areas.
USA Today: How does lack of access to dental care affect vulnerable populations?
SandersAs a result, 40% of American children have cavities by the time they enter kindergarten. This is a truly staggering statistic. Also, almost one in five older Americans has lost all of their natural teeth, and many of them cannot afford dentures. I met someone in Vermont who was missing his front teeth. How could you look for a job without them? There are millions of people in the same situation. I can’t believe that in the United States, volunteer dentists come together and people sleep outdoors for hours or overnight to pull a tooth that has been hurting for years. So it’s clear that we need to fundamentally change the way we provide dental care in this country. In my opinion, health care is a human right, not a privilege. And that is certainly true about dental care.
USA Today: For those who have dental insurance, do you think they are adequately covered?
Sanders: When serious dental work is needed, such as implants or root canals, many people believe that insurance will only cover a small portion of the cost. Another thing we need to consider is the high cost of dental work, which is never discussed. You go to the dentist, they say they need A, B, C, and D. You say, “Okay, sir, if that’s what you need,” and then a week later you get a bill for $5,000. So the question is, much like medicine, why is dental work so expensive?
USA Today: The Affordable Care Act has expanded health insurance to many Americans, so why hasn’t dental care received the same attention?
Sanders: The American health care system is broken. It’s dysfunctional. It’s cruel. The function of the American health care system is not to provide quality medical and dental care to all people. It is to generate enormous profits for insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and in many cases, health care providers. That is its function. In that sense, it works very well. But it is failing ordinary Americans in a disgraceful way. We are the only major country on Earth that does not guarantee health care for all people.
USA Today: You have introduced the Comprehensive Dental Health Care Reform Bill of 2024, which would expand dental care to Medicare, Medicaid and the Veterans Administration. What are the prospects for this bill, and can smaller, incremental steps be taken in lieu of this ambitious bill?
Sanders: In my view, the VA provides pretty good health care to veterans, and they deserve it. For some reason, dental care is not considered part of health care at the VA, or even in the overall health care system. So we are working to start moving in that direction, and we may do some pilot projects. Certainly, all the major service organizations, like the American Legion, the VFW, and other major veterans organizations, support my efforts to expand dental care to VA insurance coverage. Polls have shown that over 90% of Americans, an astronomical number, want Medicare to cover dental, hearing, and vision in its expansion. It’s a very popular idea. I’ve introduced a bill to do that. I introduced this bill recently in Build Back Better. This is an issue that the American people want and need, for all the reasons I’ve mentioned.
