This post, drawing on a WGBH history piece, explains why dental and health insurance developed as separate systems and behave differently today.
It traces health insurance back to 1929, when it was hospitals and physicians -- not insurance companies -- who first brought it to market in the US, through an early Blue Cross model where patients paid a small annual fee for a set number of covered hospital visits. The model spread quickly because it helped hospitals get paid reliably and helped patients budget for care, and it grew further during World War II.
Dental insurance came along much later -- the first plans weren't created until the 1950s, and they didn't become common until the 1970s.
The post explains that dental coverage functions more like a discount or membership program than true insurance: most plans cover routine services like cleanings at little or no cost up to an annual dollar cap, after which the patient covers everything themselves. Health insurance works in reverse, with costs increasingly covered by the insurer once a deductible is met, making dental plans much less like true risk-based insurance.
The post closes by encouraging patients to make full use of their dental benefits by scheduling exams and cleanings.