Hassan proposes adding standalone dental coverage options to Obamacare exchange

Aug. 10—Granite Staters who don't get dental benefits with their health insurance could eventually buy stand-alone dental insurance plans on the Healthcare.gov insurance marketplace.

The marketplace, created as part of the Affordable Care Act, already includes dental plans — eight are available in New Hampshire. But Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and frequent collaborator Sen. William Cassidy (R-La.) are sponsoring a bill that would add dental insurance plans that people could buy without buying a health insurance plan on Healthcare.gov.

Hassan said she was particularly thinking of veterans who get health care through the VA, but did not qualify for Veterans Affairs dental benefits.

"I continue to hear from Granite Staters, especially veterans, about how a simple trip to the dentist for routine procedures can bring with it sky-high costs," Hassan said.

The bill would apply to people who buy insurance on the marketplace in New Hampshire and the 32 other states that use the federally-run Healthcare.gov as their health insurance marketplace, but not to states that run their own insurance exchanges.

The bill would have no impact on Medicare or Medicaid benefits, or on employer-sponsored health and dental insurance plans.