The Canadian Dental Care Plan is expected to start providing coverage to all eligible seniors in May. The federal health minister says negotiations with dental associations are in their final stages. (CBC)
Health minister says details of how dentists will register and be paid are coming soon
Seniors aged 72 and older are eligible as of today to register for Canada’s national dental care plan, but dentists still can’t sign up for the program — even though they’re supposed to start taking patients in just a few months.
“I know there’ll be a lot of questions around providers. Those details are in the final stages of being negotiated,” Health Minister Mark Holland told reporters Wednesday.
“We’re ready imminently to be able to share information with all providers, with all dentists.”
It’s still not clear how dentists, hygienists and denturists will register for the program, how the billing process will work and how much they’ll be paid for their services.
The $13 billion national dental plan is expected eventually to provide dental care to approximately nine million uninsured Canadians by 2025.
Enrolment in the plan — which will see the federal government offer dental benefits to uninsured families with household incomes under $90,000 per year — started late last year. Coverage is expected to start this May.
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Holland said the federal government has been speaking with dental associations across the country to nail down the details.
“At the core, we want to make sure that dentists are treated fairly, that they’re fairly remunerated for their services, that they have clarity in terms of how that process works,” Holland said.
More than 400k seniors already signed up
The federal government is gradually mailing invitations to seniors aged 70 and up to register for the Canadian Dental Care Plan, starting with the oldest; seniors 72 and older become eligible today. This May, an online portal will open for those 65 and older to sign up.
More than 400,000 seniors have registered so far, Holland said.
“Wait for your letters,” he added.
Dr. Heather Carr, a Halifax dentist and president of the Canadian Dental Association, said there should be enough dentists to meet the demand.
“It’s going to depend on the area you live … We do have some geographic issues,” she said.
Carr said dentists have been pushing for a national dental care plan for a long time.
