My Medicare Advantage plan covers dental, but I can't find a dentist who accepts it. Is this a common problem?

Answered by 10 licensed agents

Yes, not all plans use the same carrier for dental, and some differ between HMO and PPO. However they all have a provider search tool that we can assist with.

Answered by Valentina Gatewood on April 15, 2025

Broker Licensed in CA, AZ, ID & NJ

Answered by Valentina Gatewood Medicare Insurance Agent
Your agent should have checked to see that you plan covered your doctors and dentist before you sign up for that plan

Answered by Bruce Kern on April 18, 2025

Broker Licensed in NJ, AZ, CO & 13 other states

Answered by Bruce Kern Medicare Insurance Agent
This can definitely be a major frustration! Your dentist should be checked ahead of enrolling in the plan as part of ensuring everyone you see is in network, if your dentist does not take any insurance you can pay them up front and submit a claim for reimbursement to your Medicare Advantage carrier for them to pay you back.

Answered by William Pierce on April 22, 2025

Agent Licensed in IA, MO & NE

Answered by William Pierce Medicare Insurance Agent
Yes it is. As they say...the devil is in the detail. When a Medicare Advantage Plan offers "dental" coverage, it can mean a lot of things. Is it "first dollar dental", meaning that you have a pot of money to draw from, usually without having to pay anything first. Is there a "network" associated with the dental coverage offered. Is it an HMO dental plan or PPO? If you have a good Independent Broker, they know things like this.

Answered by Steve Brauer on April 8, 2025

Broker Licensed in AZ & CA

Answered by Steve Brauer Medicare Insurance Agent
Depends on who youre with. My suggestion is to find out who your dentist and Dr take. See if you can replace it when open enrollment comes up. There are some discount dental plans you can use during the meantime

Answered by Mike Henry on April 18, 2025

Agent Licensed in TX

Answered by Mike Henry Medicare Insurance Agent
That does not happen often! Simply call Customer Service on the back of your advantage plan Wallet card, and the carrier will help you find providers… Once in a while I’ve run into a similar problem, but the Insurance companies have additional resources and provider lists that they can point you to!

Answered by Ross Landon on April 21, 2025

Agent Licensed in UT

Answered by Ross Landon Medicare Insurance Agent
No, it is not a common problem. The best way to locate a dentist is to search for one on the companies website where you have your Medicare Advantage plan.

Answered by Michael Turkaly on April 9, 2025

Agent Licensed in MI

Answered by Michael Turkaly Medicare Insurance Agent
Yes. Your Medicre Advantage plan is an HMO, so you have to go to a dentist who’s in your plan’s network.

Answered by Charles Borg on April 9, 2025

Agent Licensed in FL & NY

Answered by Charles Borg Medicare Insurance Agent
I wouldn't say it is a common problem but it does happen. It is very important to check all of your Doctors, Dentist, etc before choosing a Medicare Advantage Plan. Most Advantage plans give a set dollar amount per year to use for dental services. In my area, many (not all) of those plans will pay the same on dental services regardless if the dentist is in or out of network. I would recommend checking your plan's Summary of Benefits to see how your plan's dental benefits work out of network. You can request a book or go to your plan's website to find that info.

Answered by Jessica Breland on April 14, 2025

Broker Licensed in LA

Answered by Jessica Breland Medicare Insurance Agent
Yes it is, however some PPO plans provide dental coverage both in and out of network with the same costs associated with the service.

Answered by Larry Pereiro on April 9, 2025

Agent Licensed in IN

Answered by Larry Pereiro Medicare Insurance Agent

Tags: Coverage Medicare Advantage

Agents: Share Your Expertise

Have insights or experiences related to this topic? Help others by sharing your knowledge and answering this question.

Add Your Answer