Open wide--I meant your pocketbook: repercussions of the dental exclusion to the Medicare act.

For many Americans, dental coverage is merely a matter of cosmetics, a pretty smile. But for the elderly, a dental condition can affect nutrition, health, and financial well-being. In her note, Amanda Schwob explores the dental exclusion to Medicare, a provision of great concern to the elderly. Ms. Schwob seeks to define the scope of the dental exclusion by means of the plain language of the Medicare statute, case law, and legislative history. This analysis reveals startling uncertainty in this area of law. Next, Ms. Schwob considers several proposals before Congress as well as state reimbursement policies. The note concludes with concrete suggestions to remedy the ambiguity surrounding Medicare's dental exclusion.