Does the government cover free dental work for senior citizens through plans called "Senior Alliance Program" or "Dental Alliance"? No, that's not true: Medicare does not cover most dental work and dental procedures, and Lead Stories did not find any program with the name "Senior Alliance Program" or "Dental Alliance" on the official Medicare website. Medicare Advantage Plans offer dental coverage, but they must be purchased and the amount of coverage varies by plan.
The claim appeared in a Facebook post on May 6, 2022. It opened:
Seniors Born Before 1957 In Need Of Dental Work? This Will Shock You.
This is what the post looked like on Facebook at the time of writing:
The 48-second-long video includes a narrator and multiple older adults talking about how the government has allowed them to get free dental care. The narrator mentions the Seniors Alliance Program and how Dental Alliance cards will allow people born before 1957 to receive those benefits. An envelope showing a Medicare Benefits Payment check inside is flashed at the end. The Facebook page that posted this video claims to be a health and wellness website, according to its About section, but does not offer any links or information for these dental claims.
On the official Medicare website, Medicare.gov, dental services are addressed in these two paragraphs:
Medicare doesn't cover most dental care (including procedures and supplies like cleanings, fillings, tooth extractions, dentures, dental plates, or other dental devices).
Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) will pay for certain dental services that you get when you're in a hospital. Part A can pay for hospital stays if you need to have emergency or complicated dental procedures, even though it doesn't cover dental care.
We could not find Medicare programs with the names "Seniors Alliance Program" or "Dental Alliance Cards" on Medicare's official website.
Medicare Advantage Plans offer dental coverage, but they must be purchased and the amount of coverage varies by plan. Medicare Advantage Plans are insurance plans offered by private companies that have to follow set rules set by Medicare.
Lead Stories fact-checked a similar claim in April 2022 that said senior citizens could receive free food benefits without it affecting their food stamps or other government benefits.
We have contacted CMS.gov, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services website, to ask if they have a Seniors Alliance Program or Dental Alliance cards. We will update this article when we receive a response.
