Health and Dental Insurance: Find Affordable Plans
You can save on dental insurance by bundling it with your health plan.
Find Cheap Health and Dental Insurance in Your Area
Many insurance companies offer discounts when you buy a health and dental policy together, called a bundling discount. Bundling can also help simplify your coverage since you have only one company to deal with when paying bills or filing a claim.
Bundling your coverage can also help you find the best health and dental insurance company by narrowing your search.
Best dental insurance plans
Humana dental insurance offers the best combination of low costs and strong customer service.
Humana charges $18 per month, on average, for dental insurance plans. It has the second-cheapest rates among major dental insurance companies.
If you want the cheapest dental coverage, consider DentaQuest. You'll pay $16 per month on average for coverage.
Find Cheap Health and Dental Insurance Quotes in Your Area
Humana also scored second among top dental insurance companies in a recent J.D. Power Survey that measured customer satisfaction. Aetna dental insurance has the highest-rated plans for customer satisfaction. However, it doesn't have publicly available rate information for dental plans.
DentaQuest also scored above average for overall satisfaction. In contrast, UnitedHealthcare and Cigna ranked near the bottom of the list.
Dental insurance companies by plan cost
Company | Monthly cost | |
|---|---|---|
| DentaQuest | $16 |
| Humana | $18 |
| Cigna | $22 |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $23 |
| UnitedHealthcare | $23 |
Average monthly cost for a 40-year-old with a stand-alone dental insurance plan on HealthCare.gov.
Best bundled health and dental insurance plan: UnitedHealthcare
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Editor's rating
- Cost: $23/mo
UnitedHealthcare has high-quality, affordable health and dental plans with no waiting periods for preventive care.
Pros:
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Quality health insurance
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Large network of doctors and dentists
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Sells dental, vision and health plans
Cons:
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Average customer satisfaction for dental plans
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Health insurance can be expensive in some areas
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Not available in all states
UnitedHealthcare offers a range of health, vision and dental bundling options.
UnitedHealthcare (UHC) is a good choice if you want to bundle your dental and health plans. UHC has the best combination of prices and quality among large insurance companies that sell both types of insurance. Plus, close to one-third of its dental plans cover orthodontic services, like braces and retainers.
UnitedHealthcare also sells vision insurance and extra health coverage, called supplemental insurance. You can bundle these different types of insurance together for even more savings.
Best stand-alone dental plan: Humana
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Editor's rating
- Cost: $18/mo
Humana dental insurance plans offer cheap rates and good customer service.
Pros:
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Affordable rates
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High levels of customer satisfaction
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Large network of dentists
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Many dental plan options available
Cons:
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Not all the plans cover major dental issues
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Doesn't sell individual health plans
Humana has high-quality and cheap dental plans on HealthCare.gov.
A stand-alone dental plan from Humana costs just $18 per month. That makes Humana the second-cheapest major dental insurance company in America, after DentaQuest. Humana also scores high for customer satisfaction, ranking second on a recent J.D. Power survey.
Humana gives you access to a large number of dentists across the country. Plus, you can also choose from a variety of individual dental plan options. These range from cheap plans that have minimal coverage to more comprehensive options.
Unfortunately, you can no longer buy a Humana health insurance plan directly. It only sells group coverage that you get through your workplace. If your employer doesn't offer Humana health insurance, you'll have to buy a separate health policy from a different company.
Best network of dentists: Delta Dental
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Editor's rating
- Cost: $27/mo
Delta Dental gives you access to the largest network of dentists nationwide.
Pros:
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Large network of dentists
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Many dental plans available
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Vision coverage available in some states
Cons:
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Expensive rates
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Doesn't sell health insurance
Delta Dental stands out for its large network of dentists.
Consider Delta Dental if you travel frequently or if flexibility is very important to you.
Delta Dental offers many individual, family and senior dental plans. These include discount plans , PPOs and HMOs. Delta's broad range of options lets you tailor your coverage level to your specific needs.
The main downside to Delta Dental is that it doesn't sell health insurance. That means you can't take advantage of a bundling deal. Delta Dental also has the most expensive average rates of the major dental companies on HealthCare.gov.
Delta Dental also sells vision insurance in 15 states and Washington, D.C.
Health and dental insurance plans
You can bundle your health and dental insurance through one company, or you can buy stand-alone health and dental plans.
There are two ways to get health and dental insurance. A bundled plan will combine coverage for medical and dental care under one plan. Alternatively, you can get separate plans for medical and dental insurance.
Health and dental bundle
Separate plans
Pros:
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Simpler and more convenient
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Only one monthly bill
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Discounted coverage
Cons:
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Fewer plan options
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May cover only basic dental care
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Availability depends on where you live
Health and dental bundle
Pros:
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Simpler and more convenient
-
Only one monthly bill
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Discounted coverage
Cons:
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Fewer plan options
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May cover only basic dental care
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Availability depends on where you live
Separate plans
Pros:
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Customizable coverage
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More plan options
Cons:
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Less convenient
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Can't buy stand-alone dental insurance on HealthCare.gov
Dental insurance costs $22 per month on average.
You can only buy a dental insurance plan on HealthCare.gov or your state health exchange if you're also buying a health insurance plan. If you only need a dental policy, you can shop with an insurance agency or buy one directly through an insurance company.
Keep in mind that you may get discounts if you buy your health insurance through HealthCare.gov or your state marketplace and you earn a low income. These can significantly lower the cost you pay for health insurance. Dental plans aren't eligible for government discounts or subsidies.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also called Obamacare, requires that health plans include dental coverage for children age 18 and younger. But some companies will cover children under a separate dental plan, rather than include the benefits in a health insurance plan.
Bundling health, dental and vision coverage
Vision insurance is sometimes bundled with a health and dental insurance plan.
However, you can't get a stand-alone vision insurance plan on HealthCare.gov or a state marketplace. If you want a separate vision insurance plan, you have to get it directly from an insurance company.
How to compare private health and dental insurance
When shopping for a health and dental plan, consider your budget, health needs and preferences.
How much coverage do you need?
If you expect to need major medical care or treatment, it's worth it to buy a more expensive plan for both dental and health insurance. Even though you'll pay more each month, the better benefits could help you save money overall.
All ACA health plans have to cover the same 10 essential services. In contrast, dental insurance plans don't have to offer the same set of standardized services. For example, only some dental plans cover orthodontics. Make sure you check that the plan's coverage will work for you before you buy.
Which companies are in the plan's network?
It's important to check that your doctor and dentist are part of your plan's network when shopping for dental insurance.
Your insurance network can include a list of dentists, doctors and hospitals. With a health or dental insurance plan, you'll usually pay less for services if you use an in-network doctor or dentist.
How much flexibility do you want?
If you want more choices about where you can go for care, or you travel often and need flexibility, it may be worth it to pay for a PPO plan. These plans let you see doctors and dentists outside of your company's network for a higher cost.
If you're willing to trade flexibility for a cheaper monthly cost, consider an HMO plan, which is called a DHMO for dental insurance. With an HMO or DHMO, you can only visit doctors or dentists in your network. Plus, you'll need to get a referral from your primary care doctor or dentist before seeing a specialist.
Frequently asked questions
What company has the best health and dental insurance?
UnitedHealthcare is the best company for bundled health and dental insurance. For individual dental plans, Humana offers the best combination of cost and quality, and Delta Dental plans give you access to the most dentists.
How much is most dental insurance?
A stand-alone dental plan costs an average of $22 per month. But your rate depends on where you live, how old you are, the company you get coverage from and the level of coverage you want.
Is dental insurance worth it?
Dental insurance is usually worth it. Even if you just get two cleanings a year, the savings often outweigh the cost. And dental insurance can help make care more affordable if you need more in-depth dental care, like fillings, root canals or braces.
Sources and methodology
Dental insurance cost data came from HealthCare.gov public use files. Unless otherwise noted, all rate data is for a single 40-year-old who doesn't have a child.
Customer satisfaction rankings were taken from the 2023 J.D. Power Dental Plan Satisfaction survey.
Editorial note: The content of this article is based on the author's opinions and recommendations alone. It has not been previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any of our network partners.
