Connecticut dental insurance guide

For adults who purchase their own stand-alone dental coverage through the exchange in Connecticut, premiums in May 2024 ranged from about $21 to $69 per month.¹

If a family is purchasing coverage through Access Health CT, 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 via Access Health CT (Connecticut’s Marketplace) will comply with the ACA’s pediatric dental coverage rules. This means out-of-pocket costs for pediatric dental care will not exceed $400 per child in 2024 (or $800 for all the children on a family’s plan),² and there is no cap on medically necessary pediatric dental benefits.

All health insurance plans sold through Access Health CT include embedded pediatric dental,³ but these do not have to follow the out-of-pocket limits mentioned above (the dental services can be subject to the plan’s regular deductible and coinsurance).

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 Connecticut’s benchmark plan, which does include coverage for both basic and major dental services for children.

In 2024, there are two insurers that offer stand-alone individual/family dental coverage through the health insurance Marketplace in Connecticut. These are dental plans that are not included with a medical plan and must be purchased separately.

These plans can be purchased through Access Health CT 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 the Constitution State. These plans are not subject to the ACA’s essential health benefit rules for pediatric dental coverage, but they are regulated by the Connecticut Insurance Department. 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. Here’s what you need to know 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.

Adults enrolled in Medicaid in Connecticut (Husky Health) are eligible to receive medically necessary dental services up to $1,000 annually, although some procedures may require prior authorization. Eligible children (up to age 21) are able to receive comprehensive dental services.

CTCHIP (which is Connecticut’s CHIP) provides dental coverage to children and pregnant women with income above the eligibility limits for Medicaid.

• Connecticut State Dental Association
• Connecticut Foundation for Dental Outreach
• Connecticut free dental clinics
• Connecticut Medicaid (Husky Health)
• Access Health CT