September 1, 2021
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Chuck Schumer
Majority Leader
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Kevin McCarthy
Minority Leader
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Minority Leader
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, Leader McCarthy and Leader McConnell:
On behalf of our collective organizations, we are writing to let you to know that we are allcommitted to addressing the oral health needs of all Americans – including older Americans. As
Congress is discussing expanding Medicare to include dental benefits, we want to help you toprovide the best oral health care to seniors while ensuring a robust provider network is in place.
The current Medicare program includes distinct “parts” that recognize the variability in deliveryof health care services such as hospital care, physician services and prescription drugs. The
dental care system is significantly different from the medical care delivery system. Based uponcurrent legislative proposals, an expansion of benefits within the current Part B structure ofMedicare would not adequately meet the needs of our dentists and Medicare patients. Dentists
are unlikely to join a network based on the current Medicare Part B structure for a number ofreasons, including: Low reimbursement rates that fail to address overhead costs associated with deliveringdental care will strongly influence dentists’ ability to participate; Undue burden on dentists by requiring compliance with regulations designed for themedical delivery system, such as those for Electronic Health Records, quality ratings,auditing/compliance, documentation, and more, further dissuading dentist participation.
The overall administrative burden of participating in Part B of Medicare will likely impact accessto care for Medicare beneficiaries. Given that dental offices are vastly different than physicianoffices, applying the physician fee schedule system to fee schedules for dental care will notassure sustainability of the dental delivery system. This is a system that has high costs ofmaintaining and running an office, including dental equipment, supplies, lab costs, staffing
needs, anesthesia, and personal protective equipment (PPE).
We look forward to continuing this important conversation with you and your staff as Congressconsiders how best to provide oral health care to our Nation’s seniors. Should you have anyquestions, please contact Mr. Mike Graham with the American Dental Association at
grahamm@ada.org.
Sincerely,
American Dental Association
Academy of General Dentistry
American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
American Academy of Periodontology

American Association for Women Dentists
American Association of Endodontists
American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
American Dental Education AssociationAmerican Student Dental Association
Society of American Indian Dentists
cc:U.S. House Committees on Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Budget
U.S. Senate Committees on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; Finance; Budget