Medicare will begin covering dental services deemed medically necessary for patients with certain conditions beginning Jan. 1, according to a final rule released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, ADA News reported. The final rule includes coverage for dental care before procedures such as organ transplants, cardiac valve replacement and valvuloplasty, which aligns with the ADA's recommendations in comments the ADA shared with the agency in September. The CMS also emphasized that the statutory definition of a physician includes dentists. The regulation does not include dental coverage for patients with diabetes, but the CMS will implement an annual review process to decide whether to include additional services under the Medicare medically necessary benefit.

Full Story: ADA News (11/8)