Do health insurance plans cover dental care?
Direct reimbursement is a noninsured dental program in which an employer agrees to pay for a specified percentage or amount of receipted dental expenses. It has been used by smaller employers as a way of avoiding both the costs associated with an insured plan and the administrative complexity that often accompanies insurance company programs. And, since dental expenses are more predictable than medical expenses — seldom involving emergencies or catastrophic expenses — the risk to employers is considerably smaller.
Proper dental care has been considered a budgetable expense, so traditionally, it has not been included in group health insurance plans. In the 1970s, as its cost increased, dental care was added to employee benefits plans. Some plans include dental coverage as part of the medical plan; others include dental coverage as a separate plan. However, many health insurance plans do provide coverage for noncosmetic dental work necessary as the result of an accident. Some plans include limited coverage for hospital room and board expenses related to dental procedures, such as removal of impacted wisdom teeth, performed in a hospital.
