Does Medicare cover braces?

[SkyIsTheLimit]

I read on the home page that it does. Isn't Medicare for retired people? For some reason, it just seems like Medicare would not cover braces. I'm wondering if there is an error on the home page.

[Denise]

Are you talking about Medicare, or do you mean Medicaid? Medicare is typically for retired adults or older adults. Medicaid is what "younger" people are sometimes eligible for. You can see the eligibility requirements here: Are You Eligible? Medicaid Eligibility. I've read online that if you qualify for medicaid, it doesn't necessarily mean you'll qualify for braces coverage. I think it has to be a pretty serious medical need for them for it to be covered. Cosmetic reasons aren't covered. You should consult a medicaid office to find out for sure though.

[Sunny]

Sky ... what country are you referring to?

[SkyIsTheLimit]

I'm referring to Medicare not Medicaid and I'm talking about the US.

[Denise]

Yeah Medicare, far as I know, is the plan for older, retired folks. Medicaid is what lower-income people who don't qualify for medicare have. Oh and yeah I looked up Medicare braces coverage and it just said something like, in certain instances medicare will cover braces. So I'm guessing if they are medically necessary and you're on Medicare, it'll cover them as long as you're on the right plan. I don't know much about the difference in plans, I just know there's a plan A and a plan B (and maybe a plan that is A&B, something like that).

[MCOMarkhamOrthodontist]

I believe Medicaid provides orthodontic services for individuals between a certain age and who meet a certain criteria of malocclusion. It may differ by state, but there is a scoring system over which patients are deemed to "require" orthodontics. This was a large proportion of the patients that we treated during our residency program.

[rmcs]

In my state Medicaid will cover braces up to age 21. I'm not sure what other rules they have, I just know mine would have been covered had I been young enough.