Getting Dental Coverage Without an Employer in San Juan County
Silverton anchors San Juan County, one of Colorado's most remote mountain communities, where a small year-round population of mining descendants and outdoor enthusiasts lives — many residents are self-employed or retired.
Without an employer plan, dental coverage is something you arrange yourself. Under the ACA, dental care is an essential health benefit for children but not for adults. In San Juan County that means choosing a health plan on Connect for Health Colorado first and treating adult dental as its own purchase.
What to Look for in a Self-Employed Dental Plan in San Juan County
Compare dental plans on what they pay, not just what they cost: the annual maximum, the deductible, the waiting periods for basic and major work, and whether your dentist is in the network.
If you already need a crown, the waiting period matters more than the premium. HealthCare.gov notes that separate dental plans can have waiting periods for adults, and SecureDental PLUS, for example, waits 12 months for major care and 1 month for basic care.
Before you choose a plan in San Juan 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 as a Business Expense 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.
S corporation owners with more than 2% of the company can still take the deduction, but only after the corporation pays or reimburses the premiums and includes them in the owner’s W-2 wages.
Connect for Health Colorado, the state-run exchange in Colorado, sells dental plans alongside its health plans during enrollment periods, and its rules decide whether dental can be added on its own. A stand-alone dental plan bought outside the Marketplace can start in any month, usually on the first of the following month. Enter your ZIP code in the form below and Daniel will send you the dental plans available where you live.
A stand-alone dental plan is an excepted benefit: it isn’t minimum essential coverage and doesn’t replace health insurance.
Call (713) 575-9904 to compare dental plans for your address in San Juan County, with the network checked before you apply.