title: Dental plan premiums in the Affordable Care Act marketplaces trended downward from 2014 through 2016.
abstract: Pediatric dental benefits must be offered in the health insurance marketplaces created under the Affordable Care Act. The authors analyzed trends over time in premiums and the number of dental insurers participating in the marketplaces.
  
  
  
  The authors collected dental benefit plan data from 35 states participating in the federally facilitated marketplaces in 2014, 2015, and 2016. For each county, they counted the number of issuers offering stand-alone dental plans (SADPs) and medical plans with embedded pediatric dental benefits. They also analyzed trends in premiums.
  
  
  
  From 2014 through 2016, the number of issuers of stand-alone dental plans and medical plans with embedded pediatric dental benefits either did not change or increased in most counties. Average premiums for low-actuarial-value SADPs declined from 2014 through 2016.
  
  
  
  The increase in the number of issuers of stand-alone dental plans and medical plans with embedded dental benefits may be associated with lower premiums. However, more research is needed to determine if this is the case.
  
  
  
  Affordable dental plans in the marketplaces could induce people with lower incomes to sign up for dental benefits. Newly insured people could have significant oral health needs and pent-up demand for dental care.
authors.forename: Kamyar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nasseh
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vujicic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D062265:Health Insurance Exchanges / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007347:Insurance, Dental / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D058991:Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States
keywords: Federally facilitated marketplaces; dental plan premiums; embedded dental benefit medical plans; stand-alone dental plans