A new poll shows American voters overwhelmingly want to end the government's practice of excluding dental care from Medicare, Medicaid, and some veterans’ benefits.
CareQuest Institute for Oral Health® / Oral Health Progress and Equity Network (OPEN) commissioned a recent poll of 1,000 national registered voters which found American voters overwhelmingly support including dental care coverage in Medicare, Medicaid, and veterans’ benefits.
Four out of five Americans who voted for Donald Trump in both 2016 and 2020 support adding a dental benefit to Medicare, two-thirds think all veterans should receive oral health coverage, and two-thirds support offering adult dental coverage in Medicaid. Former Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton voters also strongly supported these oral health benefits. This poll demonstrates the growing number of Americans who reject the concept of a two-tiered healthcare system that excludes dental coverage from government insurance programs.
"Oral health is neglected because the government neglects to provide coverage for it," said Saving Smiles President, Joni Cruz-Amolsch. "The mouth is the body's entryway, and although tooth disease is preventable, the physical, psychological and financial impact caused by poor oral health is comprehensive and profound. Dental care is a necessity."
Cruz-Amolsch is urging candidates running for office this year to capitalize on the popularity of the issue and endorse the effort to add more logic to the healthcare system. “Covering every part of the body except the mouth just doesn't make sense,” they said.
Support for adding dental to Medicare is up 14% among all Americans since the last poll commissioned by CareQuest Institute on the issue in 2020. In the most recent survey, voters ranked the issue among the most important healthcare issues of 2024, on par with abortion. Sixty percent of all voters say a candidate's support for Medicare dental coverage would likely influence their vote.
Advocates for including oral health coverage as part of government health insurance argue that excluding dental coverage leads people to forgo care and suffer from expensive conditions later that could have been prevented.
Created nearly sixty years ago, traditional Medicare does not cover most oral health procedures. Also, not all veterans who receive medical care through the VA are also eligible for dental coverage through the VA, and not all states offer comprehensive dental coverage for adults under Medicaid.
The national polling was conducted by Marketing for Change Co. from May 29 – June 4, 2024, using a representative sample of 1,000 registered voters nationwide from the YouGov online panel. The margin of error is +/- 3.1%.
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About CareQuest Institute for Oral Health®
CareQuest Institute for Oral Health® is a national nonprofit championing a more equitable future where every person can reach their full potential through excellent health. We do this through our work in philanthropy, analytics and data insights, health transformation, policy and advocacy, and education as well as our leadership in dental benefits and innovation advancements. We collaborate with thought leaders, health care providers, patients, and local, state, and federal stakeholders, to accelerate oral health care transformation and create a system designed for everyone. To learn more, visit carequest.org.
About the Oral Health Progress and Equity Network (OPEN)
OPEN, an initiative of CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, is a diverse network of individuals and entities who are taking on America’s oral health challenges so that everyone has a chance to thrive. OPEN members use their unique experiences, knowledge, and skills to lead network activities every year, creating collective energy that is driving large-scale change.
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