The Best Dental Insurance for Seniors on Medicare in 2023 (2023)

• Our Top Picks
• Humana
• Aetna
• Cigna
• AARP
• Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Mutual of Omaha
• See More (3)

• FAQs

• Methodology

Humana boasts very low premiums. Most of its Medicare Advantage plans do cover dental insurance and give multiple benefits, which are broken down very clearly.

Humana has several options where premiums are $0—one that includes dental. The Preventive Value PPO is a low cost dental plan and has no waiting period.It does fully cover cleanings and exams and offers a 50% discount on fillings and simple extractions (after reaching the $50 individual lifetime deductible). The Bright Plus PPO plan has a three-month waiting period.It fully covers exams and X-rays and offers a 40% discount on fillings and simple extractions.Procedures that are not covered by either plan include oral surgery, root canals, dentures, and orthodontics. Be sure to check the “Plan Details” closely, because even if dental coverage is listed on the comparison page, not all dental coverage is created equal.

If you’re looking into bundling even further with your Medicare Advantage plan to cover your dental (or dental and vision) bases, Aetna may be right for you. Bundling allows you to make one payment to cover all of your supplemental needs, instead of making payments to each provider separately. These bundles consist of riders, which give you additional coverage for certain healthcare costs not covered by Medicare alone. In this case, both riders come with an extra premium, but they do provide backup coverage to cover the gaps in your regular Medicare Advantage plan.

Aetna is good for you if you don’t see yourself needing intensive care for either oral or vision coverage. If you want the security of knowing you have the basics covered, like routine cleanings and X-rays, but don’t think you’ll need a lot of bells and whistles, like coverage for crowns, extractions, or fillings,Aetna is the perfect option. Both the dental plan and the combined dental/vision plan are around $30/month, so they are fairly affordable, especially since the plan it comes with has a $0 deductible. While the options for dental with Aetna are limited, the Aetna Medicare Advantage Dental Rider PPO covers all in-network procedures that are listed here.

Some of Cigna’s Medicare Advantage plans cover preventative dental care like cleanings and routine exams, and some cover comprehensive care as well, such as crowns and extractions. With most plans, preventive care has an $0 copay. Cigna’s Medicare Advantage plan has built-in dental coverage through Part C coverage.

Cigna understands that preventative dental care plays a huge part in your overall health. With some plans, you’ll find preventative dental care covered, and on some of those plans, you’ll also find comprehensive care coverage because preventive measures don’t always do the trick. However, the Medicare Advantage plans that this dental care comes with can vary wildly, not only in coverage but in monthly premiums, so make sure to review the “Plan Details” page carefully. Because the plans are combined with other riders for full coverage, the details of each plan will vary.Cigna Medicare Advantage HMO plans offer coverage within a set network of providers. Cigna Medicare Advantage PPO plans have a set network as well, but they also allow you to visit providers outside of your network for an additional charge or limited coverage. Cigna Medicare Advantage PFFS plans are flexible in the choice of providers, but as claims are determined on a case-by-case basis, you run the risk of being denied treatment by providers. Carefully weigh the benefits of each plan, in addition to the dental coverage, to make sure you’re picking the best, most comprehensive plan for you.

AARP’s Medicare Advantage plans, for the most part, all come with preventative dental coverage, and many of those plans also come with comprehensive dental care coverage as well.

It’s nice to feel secure with your insurance. That’s what AARP provides—no matter what plan you choose, your pearly whites are covered. Most plans come with at least preventative dental care covered, and most also include comprehensive care covered, though at a yearly maximum cap.(This is sometimes a combined total for both preventive and comprehensive.) That means you may not need to pay anything at the dentist, depending on the procedure you’re having done. However, if you think you’ll be having more intensive work done that would exceed the annual maximum, it may be best to look into plans that have more detailed, broader coverage options available. The PPO Plan A offers the most comprehensive coverage with a $40 deductible and $1,500 in annual coverage. The PPO Plan B offers a lower monthly premium but a $90 deductible and $1,000 in annual coverage.

Talk about options—in addition to offering dental coverage with some of its Medicare Advantage plans, Blue Cross Blue Shield also gives you the choice of how much dental coverage you may want to apply for with a given plan. You can choose from the regular coverage, the bundled coverage, or the "enhanced" bundle, which provides greatercoverage for more comprehensive and preventative care. A few of our favorites include the premier package, which covers major services like dentures, bridges, and crowns, after 12 months of coverage. These services are often excluded from many of the dental plans for seniors on Medicare from various providers.

While extra effort may be needed to find your specific state’s website for Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare Advantage plans (rather than going through the main BCBS website), it’s worth it for the coverage and comparisons it offers. Dental Blue 65 Preventive is the lowest priced plan of BCBS, at under $24 per month, but only covers diagnostic and preventative services like cleanings and X-rays. The Dental Blue 65 Basic plan costs under $38 per month but includes basic services like fillings and extractions. The Dental Blue 65 Premier is the most comprehensive and expensive plan offered, costing just under $69 per month.But it includes all services including dental implants, crowns, bridges and dentures. According to the BCBS website, its plans offer you coverage with over 90% of doctors and specialists and 342,000 provider locations nationwide.

While Medicare Advantage plans from Mutual of Omaha aren’t available in every location, the prices and coverage are good. There is a $0 monthly premium option that covers all preventive dental care, with just a $25 copay, and a $28 monthly premium plan called CareAdvantage Plus, which covers comprehensive care at a $0 copay, up to $1,000 per year.

Mutual of Omaha keeps it simple, without crowding too many plans with too many choices into your options. Both plans offer some kind of dental care, butit depends on your situation and how much care you may need, to determine which plan may be better for you. It’s wise to consider all the differences in coverage, but especially in dental, since the CareAdvantage Complete only covers preventative dental care (such as cleaning, X-rays, etc) and has a $25 copay. The CareAdvantage Plus has a $28 premium compared to Complete's $0, but it includes lower copays and full coverage for preventative dental treatment. The CareAdvantage Plus plan offers a $100 deductible on comprehensive services, though it does have a $1,000 maximum per year. Mutual of Omaha’s offerings are simple but basic;if you’re looking for many different care options for medical coverage, it may be better to look elsewhere.

Article Sources

1. KKF.org. Drilling down on dental coverage and costs for Medicare beneficiaries.

2. Hung M, Lipsky MS, Moffat R, et al. Health and dental care expenditures in the United States from 1996 to 2016.PLoS One. 2020;15(6). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0234459.r001