Dental and vision care as a student

Dental and vision coverage usually comes apart from medical insurance, and students tend to find it in a few places. Below are those sources, plus places that offer lower-cost care when you have no coverage.

Why these come separately

Federal health law makes dental and vision care for children under 19 an essential benefit in many plans, and it sets no matching rule for adults. A medical plan for an adult student may include little or no dental or vision care as a result.

Dental and vision coverage often comes as a separate plan with its own premium, network and rules. A parent's standalone dental plan may set its own age limit for dependents, which can differ from the age 26 rule for medical plans.

Checking the coverage you have

Start with your student health plan's benefits summary, since some school plans include a yearly eye exam or offer a dental plan you can add. Then ask whoever holds a parent's dental or vision plan whether you are still listed as a dependent.

Dental plans often cover cleanings and exams more fully than fillings or crowns, and many have a yearly maximum and waiting periods for larger work. Vision plans usually set an allowance toward glasses or contacts and a schedule for exams.

Check before you book

• Whether your school plan includes dental or vision
• The age limit on a parent's dental plan
• Dental or optometry school clinics nearby
• Community health centers with sliding fees

Lower-cost places to get care

Dental schools run clinics where students in training treat patients under the supervision of licensed dentists, usually at reduced fees. Appointments often take longer, and the clinic decides which patients it can take based on teaching needs.

Community health centers offer dental care in many areas and set fees on a sliding scale based on income. Schools of optometry run eye clinics as well, and some community programs help with the cost of glasses.

Medicaid and discount plans

Medicaid covers some dental care for adults in many states, and the extent of that care varies widely by state. Ask your state Medicaid agency what adult dental and vision services it includes.

Discount plans sell reduced prices at participating dentists or eye care providers for a yearly fee. They work differently from insurance, so compare what you would pay with the discount against the cost of a plan before you sign up.