title: Did you know Medicare does not usually include a dental benefit? Findings from a multisite investigation of oral health literacy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Medicare does not usually include a dental benefit. Adults who are unaware of this fact risk unanticipated expenses after retirement. This report will explore the sociodemographic and oral health literacy determinants of this knowledge.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data came from the Multi-Site Oral Health Literacy Research Study, a survey of patients presenting to two university dental clinics. Sociodemographic descriptors included age, sex, race/ethnicity, education level, and dental insurance status. Oral health literacy was measured by the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine and Dentistry (REALM-D).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 34 percent of respondents knew the correct answer to the Medicare question. Knowledge was significantly associated with age, race/ethnicity, education level (bivariate only), and REALM-D score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Policymakers and those assisting in Medicare enrollment should ensure information regarding dental coverage is communicated in ways that individuals of varying literacy, language, and culture understand what is necessary to make appropriate decisions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Public Health, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland (Baltimore), MD, USA.
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Macek
authors.affiliation: Division of Public Health and Community Dentistry, University of California at Los Angeles School of Dentistry, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Kathryn A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Atchison
authors.affiliation: Schaefer Center for Public Policy, University of Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.affiliation: Schaefer Center for Public Policy, University of Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Don
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Haynes
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Ruth M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Public Health, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland (Baltimore), MD, USA.
authors.forename: Haiyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016321:Dental Care for Aged / Q000191:economics*; D057220:Health Literacy; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007347:Insurance, Dental; D006278:Medicare; D009909:Oral Health; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States
keywords: Medicare; adult; attitudes; dental; health knowledge; health literacy; health surveys; insurance; oral health; practice