Dental insurance lacking for 45 million Americans

Some payers may be missing out on an easy way to improve the health of some plan members: offering affordable dental insurance. This year, the federal government launched an initiative to promote dental health as a key link to overall health. However, approximately 45 million people under age 65 with private health insurance still do not have corresponding dental coverage, according to a new data brief from the National Center for Health Statistics. People with employer-sponsored private health insurance fared the best, with eight out of 10 people having at least some kind of dental coverage. But only three out of 10 people who purchased their own insurance directly had dental coverage.

Higher incomes increased the likelihood that people had dental insurance. In addition, non-Hispanic black people typically were more likely to have dental coverage than non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic Asians or Hispanics. Dental coverage is critical because studies have indicated that dental insurance is a primary indicator of whether people have access to dental care, reports the NCHS.

To learn more:
- read the report

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