Canadian Dental Care Plan for Seniors - Mar 2024

Canadian Dental Care Plan Update - Mar 26, 2024‍

Health Minister Mark Holland is on tour to sell Canadian dentists and hygienists on the new federal dental care plan.‍

Enrollment Highlights:

• Application letters are currently being sent to potentially eligible Canadians aged 70 or older.
• The next group of application letters for Seniors aged 59 to 69 will start being sent out in May 2024
• The first group that will be eligible to visit an oral health provider will be as early as May 2024, starting with seniors.

Which Canadian Dentists and Hygenists offer services under the CDCP:

Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/dental-care-oral-health-providers-1.7154823

Highlights from the CBC article:

• There are roughly 16,000 dental offices in Canada, the Canadian Dental Association said. The program also needs oral surgeons, denturists and independent hygienists offices to register.
• Health Minister Mark Holland is on tour to sell Canadian dentists and hygienists on the new federal dental care plan as concerns mount about what the government plans to pay providers for their services.
• Dental and hygienist associations support the program but balked at the fee guides the federal government released last month, which pay out less than is recommended by provincial and territorial guides.
• Holland defended the proposed reimbursements under the program as a balance between what is fair for providers and what is fair for taxpayers. "Most of the services listed are within 90 per cent of the suggested provincial fee guides, which are prepared by professional provider associations each year but there are some services for which the federal government plans to pay only between 70 and 80 per cent of the suggested fees. Holland said they're not the most essential services."

Further Reading

Canadian Government Dental Care Plan
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/dental/dental-care-plan.html

Nicenet Summary of Canadian Government Dental Care Plan
https://www.nicenet.ca/tools/canadian-dental-care-plan

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