Availability Of Adult Dental Plans In The Affordable Care Act Marketplaces, 2016-23

Abstract

The Affordable Care Act Marketplaces may improve access to dental insurance, but little is known about the availability of such coverage. We used data from state and federal Marketplace sources to describe the availability of adult dental plans, including Stand-alone Dental Plans and those embedded in medical plans. We also examined the characteristics of counties with limited dental insurer participation and those that experienced a net loss of Stand-alone Dental Plan insurers between 2016 and 2023. We found that in 2023, at least one Stand-alone Dental Plan was offered in every state, and thirty-six states offered embedded dental plans. Most counties (63.6 percent) had access to more than five insurers offering adult dental plans, whereas approximately 4 percent had only one insurer offering adult dental plans. Counties in state-based Marketplaces, rural areas, and dentist shortage areas were more likely to be counties with limited dental insurer participation. The net loss of Stand-alone Dental Plans between 2016 and 2023 was more common in state-based Marketplaces and disadvantaged counties. Our findings can inform future policies to improve the dental insurance Marketplace and access to affordable dental care.

Exhibit 2.

Number of Marketplace insurers that offer adult dental benefits in 2023 per county Source. Authors’ analysis of data from 1) the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Health Insurance Exchange Compare 2023 database; 2) the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 3) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Map includes insurers for standalone dental plans and embedded dental plans.

Exhibit 4.

Changes in standalone dental plans insurer participation from 2016 to 2023 Source. Authors’ analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Note. In 2016, standalone dental plans were not offered in the states of MA and WA.