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The world is being quietly rearranged by people who write very long documents.

Federal Register · December 9, 2024
The title they went with Medicare and Medicaid Programs; CY 2025 Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Changes to Part B Payment and Coverage Policies; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements; Medicare Prescription Drug Inflation Rebate Program; and Medicare Overpayments Noisy translates that to

Medicare will now pay for dental work if it is tied to a medical procedure

What happened
Medicare will now pay for dental services if they are directly linked to other covered medical treatments. This means patients needing dental work before a heart transplant, for example, will have those costs covered.
Why it matters
For decades, Medicare has treated dental care as a separate, uncovered service, even when it was essential for other medical procedures. This rule change means that a patient needing a new heart valve will not have to pay out-of-pocket for a necessary tooth extraction first. It removes a significant financial barrier for patients with complex health needs.
The signal
Watch for the first few years of claims data to see how many dental procedures are now covered and for which medical conditions.
If you insist
Read the original →