Medicare finally covers teeth, hearing, and eyes—but premiums will rise
S. 939 — Medicare Dental, Hearing, and Vision Expansion Act of 2025 · Filed by Bernie Sanders (I-VT) · 8 cosponsors · Introduced Mar 11, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill expands Medicare to cover dental care (cleanings, fillings, dentures, root canals), hearing aids and audiology services, and routine eye exams and eyeglasses starting in 2026–2027. Medicare will pay 80% of costs for most services and 100% for preventive dental care. The bill appropriates $1.77 billion to implement these benefits over the next decade and phases in the premium impact gradually from 2026–2030 to limit immediate cost shock to beneficiaries.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is to add three new benefit categories to Medicare Part B (dental, hearing, vision) with defined payment schedules, frequency limits, and a phased premium implementation. This is straightforward benefit expansion, not a tax provision, deregulation, or narrow carve-out.
What the text implies
- Premium increases will be phased in gradually (2026–2030) but will eventually be fully reflected; beneficiaries should expect sustained Part B premium growth tied to utilization of new benefits.
- Fee schedules are pegged to 2020 ADA survey data and GSA Federal Supply Schedule rates, which may lag current market prices and could constrain provider participation or create access bottlenecks in rural areas.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
dental service providers (dentists, oral surgeons, hygienists); hearing aid suppliers and audiologists; optometrists and ophthalmologists