Why 1099 Workers in Fremont County Need Standalone Dental Coverage
Fremont County's economy is anchored by state correctional facilities, agriculture, and Royal Gorge tourism — state employees may have dental benefits, but most private-sector workers buy dental coverage on their own.
Without an employer plan, dental coverage is something you arrange yourself. Adult dental care isn’t an essential health benefit under the ACA, so a health plan in Colorado doesn’t have to include it. Whatever health plan you pick through Connect for Health Colorado, adult dental coverage is a separate decision in Fremont County.
DPPO vs. DHMO: Choosing the Right Dental Plan in Fremont County
The first choice is PPO or HMO. A dental HMO usually has the lower premium but only pays network dentists, often through an assigned office; a dental PPO still pays something out of network, which matters if your current dentist isn’t in any HMO near Fremont County.
If your work keeps you on the road, a dental PPO’s out-of-network benefit is worth paying for; if you rarely leave Fremont County and like a network dentist, a dental HMO keeps the premium down.
Before you choose a plan in Fremont County, look up your dentist in the plan’s own provider directory and call the office to confirm it is in the specific network the plan uses. Networks change, and a practice can be in one insurer’s network but not another’s.
Dental Insurance and the Self-Employed Tax Deduction in Colorado
Self-employed? Dental premiums generally go into the self-employed health insurance deduction on Schedule 1, with the same limits as health premiums: no more than the business’s net profit, no months you were eligible for an employer-subsidized plan, and no reduction in self-employment tax.
If you own more than 2% of an S corporation, the premiums generally have to be paid or reimbursed by the company and included in your W-2 wages before you can take the deduction. A CPA can set that up.
Serious dental emergencies, such as spreading infection or a broken jaw, are usually treated in a hospital and billed to health insurance rather than the dental plan. The only hospital with emergency services that Medicare lists in Fremont County is St. Thomas More Hospital, so check that your health plan includes it. One of the county’s hospitals is a critical access hospital, the small rural facilities Medicare designates to keep emergency care close.
Call (713) 575-9904 and Daniel will price the dental plans available at your Fremont County ZIP code and check the network for you.