Let’s rewind to 2020 for a moment.

The world shut down. Dental offices closed their doors except for emergencies. Patients stayed home. And month after month insurance companies kept collecting premiums like clockwork.

Fast forward to when the world reopened.

Patients came back. Dentists came back. Hygiene schedules filled back up.

But something else quietly disappeared.

Dental coverage for retirees.

And the most unsettling part?
Most retirees had no idea it happened.

“I Didn’t Change Anything…”

If I had a dollar for every time a retiree told me:

“I didn’t change anything.”
“I’m paying the same premium as last year.”
“This plan used to cover my dental work.”

…I’d have enough to self-fund a decent dental plan.

Post-COVID, as I reviewed new benefit summaries year after year, I saw coverage reductions so dramatic that basic dental needs were no longer covered, yet premiums stayed the same. In some cases, exclusions were added so quietly they might as well have been written in invisible ink.

The policies changed.
The premiums didn’t.
And the patients were left holding the bag.

What Changed? Let’s Talk Trends.

UnitedHealthcare: Less Coverage, Same Smile

With UnitedHealthcare, some retiree plans saw annual maximums drop from $2,000 to $500.

$500 won’t even cover two cleanings in many offices.

Even more puzzling:

Comprehensive plans were downgraded to minor preventive only

Many retirees have full dentures
(No teeth = no cleanings, no bitewings, no benefit)

Yet retirees were sold “full coverage” plans…

• Fillings
• Crowns
• No denture coverage

That’s like buying car insurance that covers oil changes, but not tires.

Implants: Covered… Until They’re Not

Older policies sometimes covered implants. Newer ones? Not so much.

I’ve seen patients:

• Have an implant placed one year
• Let it heal properly
• Then get denied coverage for restoring it the next year due to new exclusions or frequency limits

Imagine hearing:

“We paid for the foundation last year, but we won’t cover the roof.”

Even implant-supported dentures, which require periodic replacement of abutments or connectors due to normal wear, are now denied as “frequency limited.”

Apparently chewing food daily is now considered excessive use.

Denture Relines: Pick One Arch (Good Luck)

Some plans now cover only one denture reline per year.

So patients can:

• Refit the upper denture
• Wait until next year for the lower

That’s like replacing the front tires on your car, and being told the back ones can wait 12 months.

An unbalanced bite isn’t just uncomfortable, it makes eating inefficient and painful. But hey, rules are rules.

Select Health Advantage: PPO in Name Only

With Select Health, many retirees were shifted into Advantage plans that function like HMOs:

• No out-of-network benefits
• Extremely low reimbursements
• Heavy exclusions

Many dentists simply can’t afford to participate, which means retirees can’t find providers nearby.

Coverage on paper.
No access in real life.

Aetna & Humana: Down, Down, Down

Aetna retiree fee schedules dropped below standard PPO rates.

Humana has begun shifting retiree plans from PPO to HMO-only models, including in 2026.

The result?

• No out-of-network coverage
• Reimbursements too low for most dentists
• Not enough providers to see retirees

The Real Cost: Neglect

Retirees live on fixed incomes.

Many already struggle to afford medications, so when dental coverage stops helping, they stop going.

They let problems slide.
They avoid treatment.
They can’t chew properly.
Their nutrition suffers.
Their overall health declines.

And all while paying monthly premiums for “coverage” that doesn’t actually cover anything meaningful.

The Bottom Line

Post-COVID, retiree dental coverage didn’t just change, it shrunk, downgraded, and disappeared, often without clear communication.

Patients didn’t change plans.
Insurance companies changed the rules.

And now retirees are left traveling hours for care, or neglecting themselves entirely.

Dental insurance was supposed to help people age with dignity, not force them to choose between their teeth and their groceries.

Jody Lujan
Client Success Architect – Veritas Dental Resources, LLC
📞 888-808-4513
Services: PPO Fee Negotiators, PPO Fee Negotiating, Insurance Fee Negotiating, Insurance Credentialing, Insurance Verifications
Websites: www.VeritasDentalResources.com, www.VerusDental.com