Dental Vision Hearing insurance : what it’s all about

1. How does regular dental care keep you healthy?
2. How does regular vision care keep you healthy?
3. How does caring for your hearing keep you healthy?
4. How do you get dental, vision and hearing insurance?
5. What is a waiting period?
6. When can you get dental, vision and hearing coverage?

Original Medicare doesn’t come with dental, vision or hearing benefits. As your primary care doctor might tell you, it’s even more important to visit your dentist, eye doctor and audiologist on a regular basis as you get older. So, what can you do?

First, learn why keeping on top of your oral, eye and ear health is good for your overall health. Then, find out how to get the dental, vision and hearing coverage you need.

Need dental, vision and hearing insurance? Call a licensed insurance agent at (800) 827-9990 to talk about available plans, or browse your options online today.

How does regular dental care keep you healthy?

“Dental health and overall health are very much intertwined,” says Ari Forman, D.M.D., a restorative dentist based in Boca Raton, Florida. “Diseases of the [mouth] and head-neck region are often picked up during routine checkups.”

Plus, untreated dental conditions such as gum disease can raise your risk of or worsen chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. During an exam, your dentist will look for signs of:

• Tooth decay
• Gum disease
• Oral cancer

That last one isn’t normally painful, so it’s hard to know if you have it. A dental exam is the best way to find it before it spreads. And if it’s not treated right away, it can turn into a major health issue, so early screening is key.

Most health experts recommend getting a dental checkup every 6 months. This helps detect problems early, when treatment is less complicated and less expensive, notes Forman.

“Going for dental care routinely is so important because it’s relatively easy to maintain a healthy mouth with consistent dental checkups,” says Forman. “But when problems aren’t diagnosed or addressed while they are small, it can lead to problems down the road that are much more complicated to fix. A small step toward prevention is easier than cleaning up a large mess.”

Of course, if you have a condition like oral cancer, you might need to see an oncologist on a more regular basis. (That’s a type of doctor that specializes in cancer.) You can always consult your dentist or primary care doctor on the best course of action.

Keeping tabs on your oral health can be even more important as you get older. That’s because:

• Some 25% of all people ages 65 and older have no remaining teeth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• Nearly a third of older adults have untreated tooth decay.
• Severe gum disease is associated with chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and respiratory disease.

So, it’s that much more important to see a dentist regularly as you get older.

How does regular vision care keep you healthy?

“Some individuals may mistakenly believe that if you don’t have any vision problems, then you don’t need to see an eye doctor,” says Robert C. Layman, O.D. He’s a practicing doctor of optometry and the immediate past president of the American Optometric Association. “Since eye health and vision problems may develop without any obvious signs or symptoms, annual comprehensive eye exams are essential to ensure not only optimal vision, but your health and safety as well.”

Sometimes people don’t even notice their vision is declining until they look through a corrective lens at their eye doctor’s office and the world comes into focus.

At eye exams, doctors check not only your general vision, but also your depth perception, eye alignment and eye movement. They’ll also look for signs of eye diseases like glaucoma and even conditions like diabetes, which can affect the small vessels in your eyes.

Typically, you’ll get an eye exam done by an optometrist (O.D.), who is your primary care vision specialist. They can provide you with preventive care such as:

• Diagnosis of eye conditions
• Disease detection
• Low vision rehabilitation
• Minor eye procedures
• Medications
• Treating and managing eye diseases
• Vaccinations
• Vision exams, testing and screening
• Vision therapy

“Through an eye exam, your optometrist can directly view inside of the eye, including the retina, blood vessels and the optic nerves, which are a direct extension of the brain,” says Layman. “This helps safeguard overall health by enabling the doctor to detect more than 270 serious conditions ranging from diabetes to brain tumors, STDs, high blood pressure, autoimmune diseases and even certain kinds of cancer. Early detection is the key to preventing irreversible vision loss.”

If you’re experiencing symptoms of a known eye condition or disease, you may be referred to an ophthalmologist. This eye care specialist is a medical doctor who has additional training in treating eye diseases. They can also perform surgery on your eyes, if necessary.

Seeing an eye doctor regularly and getting a comprehensive dilated eye exam are particularly important as you get older. That’s because, as you age, you’re at greater risk of developing eye conditions such as:

• Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
• Cataracts
• Glaucoma

Age-related eye diseases like these are easier for doctors to treat when they’re caught early. The CDC also suggests getting a dilated eye exam at least once every 2 years if:

• You’re African American, age 40 or older
• You’re over the age of 60, especially if you’re Mexican American
• You have a family history of glaucoma

If you have diabetes, the CDC recommends that you see an eye doctor every year.

A good addition to your Medicare plan could be dental, vision and hearing insurance. Call a licensed insurance agent at (800) 827-9990 to talk about plans, or browse your options online today.

How does caring for your hearing keep you healthy?

If you’re having trouble hearing, it’s not something to take lightly. That’s because hearing loss can lead to other behavioral and health issues. These include:

• Social isolation, which can increase your risk of:
  • Alcohol use
  • Bad sleep habits
  • Depression
  • Eating poorly
  • Heart disease
  • Lack of exercise
  • Smoking
• Risk of falling and dementia (loss of brain function), especially for older adults

Aging is a major factor in hearing loss — about 1 in 3 people between the ages of 65 and 74 have some form of hearing loss, and nearly 1 in 2 older than 75 have trouble hearing.

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, if you answer yes to 2 or more of the following questions, or “sometimes” to 3 or more of them, you could have hearing loss or might consider having your hearing checked:

• Does a hearing problem cause me difficulty when listening to TV or radio?
• Does a hearing problem cause me difficulty when attending a party?
• Does a hearing problem cause me to feel frustrated when talking to members of my family?
• Does a hearing problem cause me to feel left out when I’m with a group of people?
• Does a hearing problem cause me difficulty when I’m visiting friends, relatives or neighbors?
• Do I feel challenged by a hearing problem?
• Do I feel that any difficulty with my hearing limits or hampers my personal or social life?
• Does a hearing problem cause me to feel uncomfortable when talking to friends?
• Does a hearing problem cause me to avoid groups of people?
• Does a hearing problem cause me to visit friends, relatives or neighbors less often than I would like?

How can you get dental, vision, and hearing insurance?

As mentioned above, Original Medicare usually doesn’t cover dental, vision or hearing. But you have some options for coverage. Here’s what that might look like:

Option #1: Get a Medicare Advantage plan. A Medicare Advantage (MA) plan, also sometimes called Medicare Part C, is a type of Medicare plan that’s administered by a private company that contracts with Medicare. These plans combine Medicare Part A, Part B and usually Part D (prescription drug coverage). MA plans may also include coverage that Original Medicare doesn’t.

Option #2: Sign up for Medicaid. Medicaid is a federal- and state-run program that provides health coverage to people with limited income and disabilities. You may be eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, sometimes called dual eligibility. That is, if you are already getting Medicare and meet a certain low-income level.

For health services you may receive, Medicare pays first and may cover all eligible costs. Then, any qualified costs not covered by Medicare may be covered by Medicaid. And depending on which state you live in, Medicaid may cover services like dental, vision and hearing.

Option #3: Get a Dental Vision Hearing (DVH) plan. Some insurance companies may offer supplemental dental plans with vision and hearing benefits included. You may see these called Dental Vision Hearing (DVH) plans.

They’re meant to fit the coverage needs of Medicare Supplement Insurance (or Medigap) customers and their spouses. Plus, they offer a range of dental benefit coverage options with vision and hearing benefits included — in most states. (Medigap, which you pay extra for, helps you cover costs related to deductibles, copayments and coinsurance. But it’s important to note that you can only get Medigap if you have Original Medicare. You can’t enroll in Medigap if you have an MA plan.)

You’ll want to check whether the DVH plan in your state has deductibles or waiting periods for certain services (more on waiting periods below). You’ll also want to check the plan’s network of providers to make sure you can find an in-network dentist, eye care or hearing professional near where you live or when you’re traveling.

Option #4: Buy a stand-alone dental or vision plan. If you have Original Medicare, you could also purchase a stand-alone supplemental dental or vision plan, which can offer benefits such as regular checkups and eye exams. You’d pay for these plans on top of whatever premiums you’re already paying for Medicare.

Option #5: Combine your dental and vision plans. Older adults may also choose to pair their vision and dental insurance. This offers dental preventive care and eye exams. You’ll want to check whether your plan has waiting periods or deductibles.

Option #6: Check for hearing discounts in your state. Depending on what state you live in, if you’re an older adult, you may be able to tap into discounts on hearing exams and hearing aids.

What is a waiting period?

Insurance benefits like dental, vision and hearing may come with a waiting period. That’s the time after you start a health insurance plan that you’d have to wait until coverage kicks in for certain medical conditions. Waiting periods are typically anywhere between a few weeks and a whole year.

Some supplemental health plans cover only the basics during the waiting period. This is to prevent people from buying a health plan when they need a pricey service and then canceling the insurance after the procedure is complete.

Here’s how it works: Dental plans often cover basic care like exams, teeth cleaning and cavity filling immediately. But some plans might have a 12-month waiting period before you can get coverage for major services like getting a crown. Check plan terms or ask your insurance agent if you’re concerned about the waiting period.

When can you get dental, vision and hearing coverage?

You don’t have to wait until an enrollment period. You can sign up any time of the year, and you don’t need to do any medical exams to get coverage.

Some major dental procedures, like root canals, might come with a waiting period. So, it’s best to have your coverage in place before you need an expensive procedure.

Have more questions about dental, vision and hearing insurance? Call a licensed insurance agent at (800) 827-9990 to talk about plans, or browse your options online today.