Many people have been curious to know if “Obama-care” encompasses dental care. I’m afraid for now that the answer is “No” unless you’re a child. According to Ron Inge, CEO of Washington Dental Service, our state’s largest dental insurance company, the Affordable Care Act “will greatly increase access to oral care for previously uninsured children across the state.” For more information about this change, read Ron’s Seattle Times article from September 22, 2013.
It appears for now adults will not be covered for dental services under the Affordable Care Act. If adult dental care were to be covered sometime in the future, in my opinion, it would probably have very little impact on adult dental health. Why is this? Most insurance plans currently have a maximum spending allowance per year of somewhere between $1500 and $2000 per year. This yearly maximum has been static for over thirty years. Thirty years ago, that yearly insurance allowance could pay for a lot of dental work. Since we’ve had inflation in the last thirty years, the yearly maximum covers significantly less. For example, in 1975 the cost of a crown was $115. In 2014, the cost was $1243—almost an eleven-fold increase in cost and an eleven-fold decrease in the buying power of a dental plan, since insurance maximums have not increased along with inflation. That wouldn’t be so bad if the insurance companies kept their premiums at 1975 prices, but they haven’t. The insurance companies pay less out of pocket for claims but collect more from the consumer in premiums. That sounds like a great way for insurance companies to make record profits from dental customers.
Let’s not forget insurance companies are in the business of making profits, just like any other business. Even if the Affordable Care Act did decide to cover dental expenses, there likely would be no changes to the type of dental plan currently offered through the open market. The only difference would be the Affordable Care Act would mandate that the insurance be offered to everyone. This would be great news to people who had nothing before, and would place a greater financial burden on those individuals who would be forced to pay for it; i.e. those with higher incomes. The fairness of this is really a political debate, however I think we are better off leaving dental coverage out of the Affordable Care Act. Besides, people tend to place a higher value on things in which they pay for directly.