The American Dental Association urged the Senate Finance Committee to include oral health in national cost-control efforts and reform dental insurance in comments submitted Nov. 19. The letter, from ADA President Richard Rosato, D.M.D., and Interim Executive Director Elizabeth Shapiro, D.D.S., was filed ahead of the committee’s hearing, “The Rising Cost of Health Care: Considering Meaningful Solutions for All Americans.”
Representing more than 150,000 dentists, the ADA said preventable dental disease drives unnecessary pain, lost productivity and costly emergency department visits—especially for low-income and medically vulnerable patients. The association called oral health “inseparable from overall health” and urged that dental care be part of any health policy aimed at reducing costs.
The ADA outlined recommendations across five priority areas. First, it urged prioritizing prevention and early intervention, noting community water fluoridation and school-based programs reduce disease and downstream expenses. The group also recommended benefit designs that remove financial barriers to diagnostic and preventive care.
Second, the ADA urged reform of dental benefit structures to address out-of-pocket costs. It opposed annual and lifetime maximums—particularly low limits that lag inflation—and called for clearer, more comparable dental plan summaries for employers and consumers.
The letter also sought standardized disclosures for Medicare Advantage supplemental dental benefits so beneficiaries can compare covered services, cost-sharing and network participation.
Third, the ADA asked Congress to strengthen transparency through dental loss ratio reporting. Better reporting, the association argued, would clarify how premiums relate to benefits paid and patient cost-sharing—and show how much Medicaid funding actually reaches dental services.
Fourth, the ADA pressed for Medicaid changes: comprehensive adult dental coverage, higher federal matching rates for dental services, and improved accountability to ensure funds reach patient care.
Finally, the association urged lawmakers to preserve tax policies that help families manage health and dental costs, such as Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts. It warned against new taxes on dental services or employer-sponsored benefits that could raise costs for patients and small practices.
“We encourage the Committee to ensure that any proposals to address rising costs reflect these recommendations and meaningfully incorporate oral health into the broader health policy discussion,” the ADA wrote, offering its members and expertise as resources for the committee.