Does Obamacare Cover Dental/Dentures?

[romantico]

I'm just curious. I still have to sign up and would like to add dental if I can. I have a small chip on a tooth I would love to get fixed. My Mom is about to retire and will lose her insurance from work. She was looking into Obamacare as well. She has had the same set of dentures for almost 30 years and I think it's about time they be replaced. Anyone know if dental health can be added to the ACA?

[littlewolf]

1. I think this was covered when ACA first came out.

and only children are covered.

[Wait Wut]

2. When you sign up...

...you'll have to check the options for each plan. Yes and no is the answer. It was available on the plan I chose, but would only cover standard procedures. There are plans that will offer more coverage, but you'll obviously pay more.

[Romulox]

3. No. If you have any money left over after paying for your premiums, you may purchase your own

dental care. Same goes for eyeglasses.

[okaawhatever]

4. Yes, some plans have it and some don't. The plans I've seen group dental and vision together. nt

[okaawhatever]

5. What state are you in? nt

[frazzled]

6. Please note: Obamacare is not itself an insurance plan

It is a law: a law that requires each state (or failing that, the federal government) to create an marketplace or exchange of insurance options offering different commercial (for-profit and non-profit) insurance plans for those in the private market.

That said, this is what the government says about dental plans in the ACA marketplaces:

In the Health Insurance Marketplace, you can get dental coverage 2 ways: as part of a health plan, or by itself through a separate, stand-alone dental plan.

You can see plans and prices for stand-alone dental plans available in your area right now.

Dental coverage is available 2 ways
Health plans that include dental coverage. In the Marketplace, dental coverage is included in some health plans. You can see which plans include dental coverage when you compare them.
If a health plan includes dental coverage, you’ll pay one monthly premium for everything. The premium shown for the plan includes both health and dental coverage.

Separate, stand-alone dental plans. In some cases separate, stand-alone plans are offered. You may want this if the health coverage you choose doesn’t include dental coverage, or if you want different dental coverage.
If you choose a separate dental plan, you’ll pay a separate, additional premium.

Adult and child dental insurance in the Marketplace
Under the health care law, dental insurance is treated differently for adults and children 18 and under.

Dental coverage for children is an essential health benefit. This means if you’re getting coverage for someone 18 or younger, dental coverage must be available as part of a health plan or as a stand-alone plan. While it must be available to you, you do not have to buy it.

This is not the case for adults. Insurers don’t have to offer adult dental coverage.

Under the health care law, most people must have health coverage or pay a penalty. But this isn’t true for dental coverage. You don’t need to have dental coverage, even for children, to avoid the penalty.

https://www.healthcare.gov/can-i-get-dental-coverage-in-the-marketplace/

[Puzzledtraveller]

7. Our Expanded medicaid programs do not cover dental

Our existing Family Medicaid programs do cover dental for children. Children will always fall under family medicaid programs when eligible.

[Sgent]

8. The law only

covers dental care for children.

Adults have to be offered a plan, but its not subsidized and most of the plans I saw were fairly substandard.

[ProSense]

9. Medicaid does, but

not Medicare.

Medicare Dental Coverage
http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coverage/MedicareDentalCoverage/index.html?redirect=/MedicareDentalCoverage

Dental Services Are Coming Back For California's Low-Income Adults

By Daniela Hernandez

<...>

Last June, Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill to allow all adults on Medi-Cal back into its dental program, known as Denti-Cal. (Medi-Cal is California’s version of Medicaid, the state and federal health plan for the poor.) Most adults – with the exception of patients in long-term care and some pregnant women — had been cut out of the Denti-Cal program five years ago amid the Great Recession.

The renewed coverage includes some preventive and restorative procedures, including routine exams, X-rays, cleanings, crowns, and full dentures. But the state limits the circumstances under which procedures like extractions and root canals can be paid for and is not picking up the tab for partial dentures and implants, which had been covered five years ago.

An estimated 1.6 million adults already on Medi-Cal are expected to be covered by June 2015.

In addition, roughly 1.3 million more people will qualify for Denti-Cal in 2015 because of changes imposed under the federal Affordable Care Act. The act extended Medicaid to nearly all adults living at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty level –about $16,000 a year for a single person. Although the federal law does not mandate dental coverage for anyone but children, these adults are eligible for Denti-Cal under the law Brown signed in June.

The changes will bring the total number of people in the Denti-Cal program to about 10 million by June 2015, raising annual costs from $682 million to about $942 million, most of which will be paid by the federal government.

- more -

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2014/February/20/California-dental-insurance-Medicaid-low-income-adults.aspx

[romantico]

10. Thanks

Thanks for the responses! I live in Connecticut. Good to know. Thanks again everyone!!!