Question
Do I need dental and vision insurance in the US?
Short answer
It's optional for adults. Most health plans don't cover adult dental care or glasses, so they're sold as separate, fairly small plans. Children's dental and vision are a standard benefit.
Why it's separate
Marketplace and most job-based health plans must cover dental and vision care for children, but not for adults. Adults usually get it through a separate dental plan and a separate vision plan, either from an employer or bought alongside a marketplace health plan.
What these plans usually pay
- Dental: checkups and cleanings are often fully covered. Fillings and bigger work like crowns are partly covered, sometimes only after a waiting period, and most plans cap what they pay in a year, often at $1,000 to $2,000.
- Vision: a yearly eye exam plus an allowance toward glasses or contact lenses.
Is it worth it?
If your employer offers it, it's usually cheap and worth taking. On your own, compare a year of premiums with what you expect to spend: dental plans help most with regular care, less with big unexpected work because of the yearly cap. Eye injuries and eye diseases are usually covered by your health plan, not a vision plan.
Dental "discount plans" are not insurance. They get you a lower price from certain dentists but pay nothing themselves.
This is general information about how US policies usually work. Your own policy's wording and your state's rules decide the details.