Forbes September 13, 2021
Sally Pipes

As part of their $3.5 trillion budget plan, Democrats hope to expand Medicare to include, among other additions, coverage for dental benefits by 2028.

It’s a dream progressives have been pursuing for years. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., called for the changes in his 2016 and 2020 presidential campaign platforms. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., recently said she’s “all for” expansion.

But adding dental coverage to traditional Medicare is imprudent and unnecessary. In the long run, it could even reduce seniors’ ability to access quality dental care—if any care at all—contrary to its backers’ intent.

For starters, the cost would be massive—about $238 billion over the next decade.

Expanding traditional Medicare to cover dental benefits is also duplicative. About half of...

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