Improving Integration of Dental Health Benefits in Health Insurance Marketplaces

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) includes pediatric dental services as one of ten essential health benefits that health plans in the small group and individual markets must cover. This is an important step forward in ensuring that all children have dental coverage and it builds on progress made in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. While adult dental services are not required as an essential health benefit, marketplaces may offer an opportunity for adults to also gain dental coverage.

However, the way that the ACA structures dental coverage has created a number of implementation challenges to ensuring dental coverage for children and offering it for adults.