How do lobbyists make sure Americans don’t get access to affordable dental care?

• Fortune has done a great job reporting on this trend: I know how lobbyists make sure Americans don’t get dental care–I was one of them
• Three powerful trade groups in Washington lobby against getting dental coverage for American dental patients –America’s Health Insurance Plans(AHIP),  the Better Medical Alliance, and the American Dental Association (ADA)
• kill bills to expand medical coverage/access to include dental care
• This is despite the fact that adding coverage for dental care to the new Build Back Better is the #1 request
• The primary reason Medicare hasn’t covered dental care since its inception in 1965 (except when oral health problems become so severe they require hospitalization) is that organized dentistry staunchly opposed it.
• main concern–as it was 56 years ago–is that Medicare would not reimburse dentists to their satisfaction. The ADA’s lobbyists, in essence, are placing the financial desires of dentists above the health needs of millions of Americans
• *disclaimer* this is not dental advice - this is meant for information purposes only and is not intended to be dental advice or instructions for dental diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with your dentist or a qualified dental professional before starting or changing dental treatment.