Rebecca Seawright, D-New York City, is pictured during a recent rally in the state Capitol. Seawright is proposing legislation that would require the NY State of Health Marketplace to require companies offering health insurance plans on the marketplace to also offer at least one dental plan for senior citizens.

New York’s senior citizens may have a new avenue to purchase dental insurance.

Assemblywoman Rebecca Seawright, D-New York City, and Sen. Cordell Cleare, D-New York City, are sponsoring legislation (A.11235/S.7594) that would require the NY State of Health Marketplace to require companies offering health insurance plans on the marketplace to also offer at least one dental plan for senior citizens.

According to a 2025 National Association of Dental Professionals analysis, Charm Economics estimates that there are 101 million adults in the US who are aged 55 or older. By extrapolating federal survey data, Charm estimates that approximately 31.0 million (31%) retirees have dental coverage through private health insurance. Approximately 39.1 million (39%) individuals have dental coverage through public programs. Their analysis controls for individuals with two sources of dental coverage. This leaves “approximately 31.0 million (31%) without dental coverage.” The analysis reveals 18.9 million of these 31 million are over the age of 65.

Many dentists and groups advocating for expanded care blame Medicaid reimbursement rates. New Jersey only covers 13.3% of what a dentists normally charge, Michigan covers 17% and Rhode Island 22.4%, according to 2022 data analyzed by the American Dental Association. Illinois, New York, Ohio and Oregon each cover a little more than 28%, according to statistics available in 2023.

“There is a dearth of available and effective dental-based health insurance plans, in general, and specifically with respect to those that would be viable options for our seniors,” Seawright and Cleare wrote in their legislative justification. “Not every senior qualifies for Medicaid, and many seniors do not have the resources to pay for dental

care out of pocket, nor should they have to. Thus, this bill requires that any company offering health insurance in our so-called Marketplace concurrently offer at least one dental plan for seniors as well.”

The legislation hasn’t yet been reported out of committee in either the Senate or Assembly.

Medicaid, the federal and state health insurance program for the poor, requires states to provide dental coverage for children but not adults. But with a growing recognition of the economic and health costs of poor dental health and an influx of federal pandemic dollars, six states began or expanded their Medicaid programs this year to provide coverage for adults.

Medicaid, the federal and state health insurance program for the poor, requires states to provide dental coverage for children but not adults. But with a growing recognition of the economic and health costs of poor dental health and an influx of federal pandemic dollars, six states began or expanded their Medicaid programs this year to provide coverage for adults in 2023, according to a 2023 Associated Press report.

The AP also reported that a study from Texas A&M University found that treatment for preventable dental conditions represents up to 2.5% of emergency room visits, at a cost of $2 billion a year. An additional $45 billion is lost year in productivity in the United States annually from untreated oral disease, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

All states provide some Medicaid dental benefits for adults, but some limit it to only specific segments of the population, like pregnant women or those who have intellectual disabilities, or cover only emergency care, according to CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, a nonprofit that advocates for expanded dental care.