More than 68 million adults in the U.S. do not have dental insurance, but that number could rise to 91.4 million by the end of 2023.
Approximately 8.9 million household members may have lost their coverage this year due to loss of coverage in the household, as many family members have insurance through one member of the household, according to a Sept. 6 report from CareQuest Institute for Oral Health.
The Medicaid redetermination process, which began in April, is another potential cause of lost dental insurance. An estimated 14 million adults could lose their dental coverage due to the public health emergency expiration.
According to the report, 27 percent of the population lacks dental insurance, compared to 9.3 percent who do not have health insurance.
State Medicaid programs are not required to provide dental coverage to adults, and most Medicare plans do not offer dental benefits, leading to approximately 33 percent of individuals on Medicare and Medicaid lacking dental insurance.