["Adding dental, vision, and hearing benefits to Medicare is
supported by 84% of the American people," said an aide to Sen.
Sanders, who plans to propose including the expansion in Democrats
reconciliation package.]
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BERNIE SANDERS SEEKS TO BEEF UP THE DEMOCRATS' BIG BILL  
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Brett Wilkins
August 5, 2022
Common Dreams
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_ "Adding dental, vision, and hearing benefits to Medicare is
supported by 84% of the American people," said an aide to Sen.
Sanders, who plans to propose including the expansion in Democrats'
reconciliation package. _

, photogism licensed under CC BY 2.0

 

U.S. SEN. BERNIE SANDERS will offer an amendment to the Democrats'
revived reconciliation bill that would affirmatively answer activists'
demands to expand Medicare benefits, the senator's office
told _Common Dreams_ on Friday.

"Today, in the wealthiest country in the world, it is shameful that so
many of our seniors must go without the dentures, eyeglasses, and
hearing aids that they need."

Sanders' office said the Vermont independent will seek a roll call
vote on including the overwhelmingly popular
[[link removed]] proposal
to extend dental, hearing, and vision coverage to all Medicare
beneficiaries, provisions that were previously stripped
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Democrats' once-ambitious 
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trillion reconciliation package.

Now with key Democrats breathing fresh life
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the recently moribund bill they nearly killed
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in favor of a dramatically shrunken
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is again pushing for the Medicare expansion he has long championed.

"Today, in the wealthiest country in the world, it is shameful that so
many of our seniors must go without the dentures, eyeglasses, and
hearing aids that they need," the senator's office explained.

Healthcare reform advocates have long called for expanding Medicare.
Ideally, the popular program would be reformed or reinvented to cover
everyone's needs under a universal, single-payer system. However, with
Medicare for All still a distant goal
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the United States, progressives have honed in on expanding Medicare to
achieve more coverage for more people, especially seniors most in
need.

"The holes in Medicare coverage are harming seniors as we speak,"
Sanders and Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila
(D-Wash.) wrote
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a joint June 2021 analysis of a Data for Progress poll showing 83% of
likely U.S. voters of all political affiliations back Medicare
expansion.

The lawmakers continued:

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that mild hearing loss
doubled dementia risk. Poor oral health and untreated gum disease also
leads to increased serious risk of heart attacks, strokes, rheumatoid
arthritis, and worsened diabetes. And aging takes a toll on vision,
leading to injury, cognitive impairment, and depression...

In the richest country in the world, the outrageous reality is that
75% of senior citizens who suffer from hearing loss do not have a
hearing aid because of the prohibitive cost. Sixty-five percent of
senior citizens have no dental insurance and no idea how they will be
able to afford to go to a dentist.

"Combined, the lack of Medicare dental, vision, and hearing coverage
put America's seniors at risk for a host of serious health
conditions," Sanders' office told _Common Dreams_. "If Congress cares
about our nation's seniors, we must expand the Medicare program to
cover dentures, eyeglasses, and hearing aids."

_Brett Wilkins [[link removed]] is
a staff writer for Common Dreams._

_This work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel
free to republish and share widely._

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* Bernie Sanders
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* Democratic Party
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* health insurance
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* Medicare
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