| | Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 62 Supporting Member (50+ posts) |  Supporting Member (50+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 62 | Hello all, I read in a SPOHNC newsletter about 2 years ago that Medicare was covering some dental damages caused by radiation. I can't find the article or anything about it anymore. Has anyone else seen or heard of this? Thanks, Carol
DX 6/05 Rt Tonsil SSC advanced to lymph node. Stage 4b. RND, took tonsils, strips off the back of tongue, throat and nose. 19 lymph nodes removed only 1 bad. Once healed, 7 weeks of treatment including 35 IMRT, 7 Cisplatin, 7 Erbitux and 35 nasty Amophostine. Almost 11 yrs out now. Woooo Hoooo!
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,912 Likes: 52 OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | OCF Founder Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 4,912 Likes: 52 | The last two people I fought for to get implants covered in Medicare were turned down. As most here know, I came out of the dental implant industry and designed and sold them worldwide through my company. They have never been covered even by dental insurance and were always private pay, (my wife is still a rep for Astratech, part of the giant pharma company Astra Zeneca, one of the world's largest implant manufacturer's and the reason I am able to donate my time to OCF instead of work at McDonald's for a living.)
The only people I have seen get Medicare covered implants are completely edentulous on the arch in question, and those are always mandibular arch reconstructions done with a pair of implants and a bar between them that a denture then snaps to. This is a nice restoration and very effective, though most people who are partially edentulous think of porcelain crowns on top of individual implants, which I have not seen covered no matter the cause for the tooth loss. Medicare in interested in restoring function only, which the two implants and over denture design does quite well, and will spend no money for things more.
Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.
| | | | | Joined: May 2002 Posts: 2,152 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | OP Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: May 2002 Posts: 2,152 | Actually, since my original post, my company supplied dental insurance from Cigna now does cover dental implants. Since the max per year is $2400, it's not a lot when but every little bit counts.
Take care,
Eileen
----------------------
Aug 1997 unknown primary, Stage III
mets to 1 lymph node in neck; rt ND, 36 XRT rad
Aug 2001 tiny tumor on larynx, Stage I total laryngectomy; left ND
June 5, 2010 dx early stage breast cancer
June 9, 2011 SCC 1.5 cm hypo pharynx, 70% P-16 positive, no mets, Stage I
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 62 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | | Supporting Member (50+ posts)
Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 62 | Brian, thank you for the good news. My dentist has already discussed the ones you said medicare will cover. We are however, trying to save the 16 teeth I have left as long as we can. He seems to think that once I've passed the 6-7 year mark, I can get alot more done without using HBO. My radiation Dr says only one of the teeth will need HBO before being pulled. Have you ever heard of medicare covering the fillings, etc he's working on now? He wants to replace a bridge but so far we're keeping it. BTW I LOVE Laguna Niguel!
Hi Eileen, thanks. Although I'm on Medicare with a United Healthcare supplement that is nice to know. With the deluxe rider I bought, they only pay $500 a year. Not really worth the $39 a month.
DX 6/05 Rt Tonsil SSC advanced to lymph node. Stage 4b. RND, took tonsils, strips off the back of tongue, throat and nose. 19 lymph nodes removed only 1 bad. Once healed, 7 weeks of treatment including 35 IMRT, 7 Cisplatin, 7 Erbitux and 35 nasty Amophostine. Almost 11 yrs out now. Woooo Hoooo!
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