Idaho dental insurance guide

For adults who purchase their own stand-alone dental coverage through the exchange in Idaho, premiums in 2025 range from about $17 to $53 per month.²

If a family is purchasing coverage through the health insurance exchange, the premiums associated with pediatric dental coverage may or may not be offset by premium tax credits (premium subsidies). Here’s more about how that works, depending on whether the health plan has integrated pediatric dental benefits.

None of the medical plans offered via Your Health Idaho have embedded dental coverage,¹ but stand-alone dental plans are available. There are no federal requirements for adult dental coverage, but the stand-alone dental plans available through Your Health Idaho must comply with the ACA’s pediatric dental coverage rules.

This means out-of-pocket costs for pediatric dental care under a stand-alone plan obtained via Your Health Idaho will not exceed $400 per child in 2024 (or $800 for all the children on a family’s plan),³ and there is no cap on medically necessary pediatric dental benefits. (For 2025, the out-of-pocket maximums will increase to $425 and $850, respectively.⁴)

As is the case for all essential health benefits, the specific coverage requirements for pediatric dental care are guided by the state’s essential health benefits benchmark plan.

You can see details here for the Idaho benchmark plan, which does include coverage for both basic and major dental services for children.

In 2025, seven insurers offer stand-alone individual/family dental coverage through Your Health Idaho, the health insurance Marketplace in Idaho.⁵ These are dental plans that are not included with a medical plan and must be purchased separately.*

• BEST Life
• Blue Cross of Idaho Health Insurance Inc.
• Delta Dental of Idaho
• EMI Health
• Guardian Life Insurance Company
• Humana
• PacificSource Health Plans

*Plans from insurers may not be offered in all areas.

This coverage can be purchased through Your Health Idaho during open enrollment (October 15 to December 15) or during a special enrollment period triggered by a qualifying life event. Exchange-certified stand-alone dental plans are compliant with the ACA’s rules for pediatric dental coverage.

There are also a variety of dental insurers that sell stand-alone dental plans directly to consumers in Idaho. These plans are not subject to the ACA’s essential health benefit rules for pediatric dental coverage, but they are regulated by the Idaho Department of Insurance. If you would like to purchase a non-ACA qualified dental plan, ask a dentist for recommendations or search online.

There are also various dental discount plans available in every state. Dental discount plans are not insurance, but can offer discounted rates at participating dentists. Learn about the differences between dental insurance and dental discount plans.

To find plans in your area, search online for dental discount plans and the state you are looking to buy a plan in.

All adults and children enrolled in Medicaid in Idaho have full access to the Medicaid enhanced plan dental benefits through the Idaho Smiles Program. This includes preventive and diagnostic dental services.

Idaho’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), provides coverage to children and pregnant women with income above the eligibility limits for Medicaid.

• Idaho Dental Association
• Low-fee dental clinics in Idaho
• Idaho Smiles
• Your Health Idaho