The American Dental Association explained why that should not be the case in a letter from its leadership earlier this month to Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the administrator of the federal Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services
correspondence was prompted by the announcement late last year that more adults could get dental coverage on the Affordable Care Act, or ACA, marketplace if a proposed rule change takes effect.
CMS has proposed lifting a ban that prohibits states from including adult dental services as one of the 10 Essential Health Benefits in ACA-compliant and marketplace plans.
The change would take effect in 2025, but states would have the ultimate say. As proposed, states would not be required to include dental services, but they no longer would be prohibited from including such health care as essential for adults.
