NEW: Congress increasingly appears to be considering adding coverage for dental, vision, and hearing benefits in Medicare. It should also guarantee access to the same benefits for low-income adults with #Medicaid coverage.

@PaulNVandeWater and I explain: https://www.cbpp.org/research/health/medicaid-and-medicare-enrollees-need-dental-vision-and-hearing-benefits

States are not required to offer dental, vision, or hearing services to adult #Medicaid enrollees. Enrollees’ access to care is inconsistent: the scope of the benefits varies widely between states, and states often cut these benefits when facing budget shortfalls.

Lack of access to dental, vision, and hearing care can pose serious risks for overall health. The absence of routine care can delay diagnosis of some serious health conditions, leading to complications and more costly treatments later.

Adults in poverty are more than three times as likely to have untreated tooth decay than adults with higher incomes and are more likely to report unmet dental needs due to cost.

And people of color are generally less likely than white people to get needed care. Nine percent of Black people and 12 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives reported having no natural teeth, compared with less than 7 percent of white people.

Fixing gaps in coverage only in #Medicare without making the corresponding changes in #Medicaid would exclude many people with significant unmet needs. Providing treatment for non-elderly adults could also prevent more serious conditions later in life.