Medicare
doesn’t cover dental care. There have
been countless debates and discussions about medical care; yet no one ever
mentions dental care, as though that were not important to your overall
health. Last June an M. D. (dermatologist)
did a biopsy of my skin at suspicious looking place on my right forearm, and Medicare covered the procedure, whereas next
week an oral surgeon (D.D.S. and M. D.) will do a biopsy of a suspicious
looking place in the roof of my mouth, but Medicare will not cover the
procedure. Now, does that make any
sense?
What is ironical is that yesterday while I was on hold on the telephone waiting to talk to a Medicare representative, I was informed by a recording that I am currently eligible for coverage under Medicare for cardiac screening, colon-and-rectal cancer screening, prostate cancer screening, diabetes screening, osteoporosis screening, a flu shot, and an annual examination by my primary care doctor. BUT NOT FOR ORAL CANCER SCREENING!
My
initial visit with the oral surgeon cost me $85, not covered by Medicare, and
the biopsy will cost me $406. What if
the biopsy shows the suspicious area is malignant and I have to have a laser
procedure or whatever to get rid of it?
I don’t think Medicare will cover that either. (As an aside, I don’t understand why the oral
surgeon couldn’t have just gone ahead on the first visit and gotten rid of the
whole suspicious area then and there, under the assumption that it was
malignant, and thereby saved me some money).
What is ironical is that yesterday while I was on hold on the telephone waiting to talk to a Medicare representative, I was informed by a recording that I am currently eligible for coverage under Medicare for cardiac screening, colon-and-rectal cancer screening, prostate cancer screening, diabetes screening, osteoporosis screening, a flu shot, and an annual examination by my primary care doctor. BUT NOT FOR ORAL CANCER SCREENING!
