Medicaid
Medicaid can help low-income Florida seniors supplement their Medicare policies with coverage providing limited dental benefits. Known in the state as SSI-related Medicaid, all seniors who receive supplemental Social Security income automatically qualify for Medicaid. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, Florida Medicaid will pay for dental services related to dentures or for the treatment of infection. Seniors are responsible for paying a 5 percent copayment for denture-related services, as well as a $2 daily copay for oral surgical procedures.
Project: Dentists Care
The Florida Dental Health Foundation Inc. operates Project: Dentists Care to help low-income Floridians obtain affordable dental care through volunteer dental professionals. Private funding, along with the charitable services of Florida dentists, helps the program extend oral health screenings and treatments at free or reduced costs to patients.
Income
As of 2011, to qualify for Medicaid supplementation in Florida, individual senior citizens must have gross monthly incomes below $799 with no more than $5,000 in household assets, or monthly income under $1,079 with no more than $6,000 in assets if married. Income requirements to qualify for Project: Dentists Care vary according to each dental provider, but most clinics are open to residents of all ages in Florida with incomes at or below 100 to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. However, the University of Florida College of Dentistry Student Oral Surgery Clinic in Gainesville has no income limitations, and instead offers exams, x-rays and extractions for a flat fee of $110.
Considerations
Because many low-income senior citizens live on a fixed income, dental insurance may be unaffordable. For those without access to a low-cost dental clinic or Medicaid services, a dental discount program may provide cost-effective relief. According to Forbes.com, dental discount plans cost approximately $100 per year, and provide varying discounts of up to 50 percent or more. As of November 2009, there were 19 discount plans between $80 and $140 per year available to Miami residents alone, as opposed to 21 insurance plans with premiums for basic policies that cost nearly $500 per year.
