This question was submitted by Dave, from our Facebook page.

The short answer is, “no.”  Parents are not required to purchase dental insurance for their children.  However, pediatric dental care has been listed as one of the 10 essential health benefits (EHB) that all insurance carriers must include on policies that are available on the Healthcare Exchange.

Illinois is one of the states that expanded Medicaid eligibility.  This means the income threshold for you or your children to be eligible for health and dental care through state programs such as All Kids has been raised.  Purchasing a plan through the Healthcare Exchange is based on reported income, and some folks are eligible for subsidized coverage, or reduced premiums.  It is important to note that while all plans on the exchange must meet a certain standard of included benefits when it comes to pediatric or adult dental care, not all coverage is the same.  We will review some of the available plans in a separate post.