Missouri dental insurance guide

For adults who purchase their own stand-alone or family dental coverage through the exchange, premiums range from $20 to $94 per month.

IHC Specialty Benefits reports that the average monthly premium for a stand-alone family dental plan sold in Missouri in 2022 was $45.29.

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.

The stand-alone pediatric dental plans available in Missouri will comply with the ACA’s pediatric dental coverage rules. This means out-of-pocket costs for pediatric dental care will not exceed $375 per child in 2023 (or $750 for all the children on a family’s plan), and there is no cap on medically-necessary pediatric dental benefits.

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.

The Missouri benchmark plan includes coverage for both basic and major dental services for children.

In 2023, nine insurers offer stand-alone individual/family dental coverage through the health insurance marketplace in Missouri. These are dental plans that are not included with a medical plan and must be purchased separately:

• Anthem BCBS
• BEST Life
• DentaQuest
• DentaTrust / DentaSpan
• Truassure Insurance
• Humana
• Renaissance Dental
• Guardian
• EMI Health

This coverage can be purchased through HealthCare.gov during open enrollment (November 1 to January 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 Missouri. These plans are not subject to the ACA’s essential health benefit rules for pediatric dental coverage, but they are regulated by the Missouri 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 name of your state.

Missouri recently expanded the dental services available to adults enrolled in Medicaid, although there may be limitations for adults who are not in certain assistance categories. Children can receive comprehensive dental benefits if Medicaid eligible.

MO HealthNet administers Missouri’s CHIP, which provides dental coverage to uninsured children and pregnant women with with income above the eligibility limits for Medicaid.

• Missouri Dental Association
• Low-fee dental clinics in Missouri
• MO HealthNet (Medicaid)
• HealthCare.gov