DentaQuest said that it applauds the Biden Administration’s decision to reopen the federal healthcare marketplace for three months, allowing millions of Americans to apply for coverage as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
While the Biden Administration notes that more than 30 million Americans remain without health insurance, studies have shown that Americans are four times more likely to lack dental insurance, DentaQuest said.
Reopening enrollment for three months will allow for tens of millions of Americans to log on to healthcare.gov and apply for dental coverage along with medical coverage.
“Reopening enrollment provides an opportunity for the tens of millions of Americans who lack critical dental insurance to apply for coverage,” said Steve Pollack, president and CEO of DentaQuest.
“In his Executive Order, President Biden recognizes that people of color, who have suffered disproportionately during this pandemic, are more likely to be uninsured in America,” Pollack said.
“The same is true with respect to dental insurance, and the harm caused by lack of dental coverage is significant. We know that poor oral health can worsen overall health by raising the risk for diabetes complications, stroke, and other serious conditions,” he continued.
“We applaud the President’s swift action to strengthen Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act and eliminate barriers to care. We encourage the Administration to include the importance and availability of dental coverage in their public relations campaign around the new open-enrollment period,” Pollack said.
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