Of more than 20 million veterans in the United States in 2019, fewer than 1 million had dental care coverage through the VA (Source: Oxford University Press). With less than five percent of veterans qualifying for dental care through their local VA, many veterans, specifically low-income veterans, are left without access to dental care. VINA and other local organizations have formed partnerships to help fill this gap in care.
VINA and Livingston County’s Veteran Services (LCVS) developed a new partnership for low-income veterans in Livingston County. All veteran patients who qualify at VINA as well as Livingston County Veteran Services can have their dental fees paid for by LCVS. This includes prosthodontics (crowns, partials, dentures, etc.) and hygiene, dental and specialist appointment fees.
The partnership helps both VINA and Livingston County Veteran Services reach veterans and provide them with more resources in the community, while easing some of the financial burdens of much-needed dental care.
VINA Community Dental Center and the University of Michigan School of Dentistry recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of the Victors for Veterans program, which provides free, comprehensive dental care to veterans in a seven-county area. This covers low-income veterans living in the following counties: Livingston, Oakland, Genesee, Jackson, Shiawassee, Ingham and Washtenaw.
For more details on these programs, please contact the VINA office at (810) 844-0240.