Dental Insurance Premiums: HSA Eligibility

What is dental insurance?

Dental insurance is similar to other forms of health insurance, but this form of coverage is designed to limit the cost of oral care by reducing the out-of-pocket costs for regular cleanings and checkups. The vast majority of dental insurance plans concentrate on prevention and diagnostic exams, such as X-rays, fluoride treatments, and regular cleanings, but they have real value for account holders for helping them save on more advanced treatments like fillings, crowns, root canals and other advanced dental work that would be far more expensive without coverage (WebMD).

Alongside standard health insurance and vision coverage, dental insurance is one of the most common forms of health coverage offered by employers. Dental insurance plans typically take the model of the "100-80-50" coverage plan where the account holder is covered 100 percent for routine expenses (cleanings/checkups), 80 percent for fillings, root canals and other basic procedures and finally 50 percent for more advanced operations like crowns and bridgework. However, cosmetic procedures are rarely, if ever, covered by dental insurance as they are not designed to diagnose, prevent or treat a legitimate medical condition.

How are dental insurance premiums reimbursed?

As a general rule, insurance premiums cannot be reimbursed through a flexible spending account (FSA), be it for health, medical or vision insurance. However, depending on how an individual's HSA or HRA are structured, these premiums may be reimbursable through their healthcare plans. Before choosing a dental insurance plan, it's advisable that prospective policyholders speak with their benefits administrator to inquire about dental insurance premium reimbursement to help them plan out their future spending and make an informed choice with their dental plans.