September 22, 2021
Access & Coverage
  • A new analysis from Kaiser Family Foundation shows that 53 percent (31.3 million) of Medicare beneficiaries utilized dental services in 2018, with an average spending of $874. Thirty-five percent (20.3 million) used vision services and 8 percent (4.6 million) used hearing services. Sixteen percent of Medicare beneficiaries reported that there was a time in 2019 that they could not get dental, hearing, or vision care. Among those, 70 percent cited cost as the main barrier. Medicare beneficiaries with long-term disabilities, with low incomes, in fair or poor health, in rural areas, dual eligible, and who are Black and Hispanic were more likely to report difficulty accessing services. (Analysis here)