The federal government害羞草研究所檚 newly unveiled vision of what it bills as a comprehensive suite of dental benefits looks a lot like typical insurance coverage, right down to the ID card patients would hand over at the dentist害羞草研究所檚 office.
But industry advocates say the new program isn害羞草研究所檛 the same as the insurance coverage Canadians typically get from their employers 害羞草研究所� and patients need to be crystal clear about some important differences.
害羞草研究所淚 just don害羞草研究所檛 want people thinking it害羞草研究所檚 a free program,害羞草研究所� said Dr. Brock Nicolucci, president of the Ontario Dental Association.
害羞草研究所淲e don害羞草研究所檛 have any of the details yet, and if people start giving up their dental insurance that they worked hard for 害羞草研究所� I would be very upset for people.害羞草研究所�
The federal program is set to start accepting enrolment applications this month from qualifying seniors over the age of 87. Enrolment eligibility will slowly expand over the course of the next year to include all seniors, children under the age of 18 and people with disabilities.
The program was developed at the behest of the NDP as part of a political agreement to secure the opposition party害羞草研究所檚 support for the government on key votes.
The plan is intended for low- and middle-income people who don害羞草研究所檛 already have access to insurance.
害羞草研究所淭his isn害羞草研究所檛 an insurance plan,害羞草研究所� Nicolucci said. 害羞草研究所淭his is a benefit that the government is providing to the Canadians that unfortunately don害羞草研究所檛 have access to care.害羞草研究所�
There害羞草研究所檚 a chance seniors could opt to stop paying for private insurance in favour of the government program instead, said Dr. Carlos Qui帽onez, vice-dean and director of the school of dentistry at Western University in London, Ont.
害羞草研究所淚 wouldn害羞草研究所檛 call it a concern, but there is a real issue,害羞草研究所� Qui帽onez said in an interview.
A 2022 Statistics Canada survey found 32.5 per cent of seniors had private dental insurance, which they either pay for themselves or get through an employer. Qui帽onez said that represents a fairly small portion of the third-party insurance market, and often the private coverage isn害羞草研究所檛 as robust as employer programs.
Nicolucci said he hopes people don害羞草研究所檛 abandon their personal coverage in search of government-funded care, at least until the parameters of the new program become more clear.
The plan will allow patients with an annual household income less than $70,000 to avoid paying for dental services, while those making between $70,000 and $90,000 would shoulder between 40 and 60 per cent of the costs.
The cost to patients isn害羞草研究所檛 yet clear, as dentists haven害羞草研究所檛 yet seen the complete list of benefits that will be covered or how much the government plans to pay for each service.
The basket of services will closely reflect the federal health benefits program for registered First Nations and Inuit people, Health Canada officials said in a briefing provided Monday on the condition they not be named.
That program, called the Non-Insured Health Benefits program, has some distinct differences from an employer insurance program in terms of the eligibility criteria and administrative burden for oral health-care providers and patients.
With a plan provided by an employer, the benefits patients qualify for are usually fairly clearly defined, said Dr. Aaron Burry, CEO of the Canadian Dental Association.
That may not be the case with the new government program.
害羞草研究所淭here is often a lot more administrative work and there can be more delays in terms of getting the approvals to actually say, 害羞草研究所榊es, this is worth it, we are going to be willing to pay for it,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 Burry said, adding that the need for pre-approvals is common in government plans.
Some dentists have avoided patients who are part of the existing program for fear of the avalanche of paperwork it requires, said British Columbia Dental Association president Dr. Robert Wolanski.
That can create 害羞草研究所渄ental deserts害羞草研究所� for enrolled patients who can害羞草研究所檛 find a care provider.
Health Canada officials say they害羞草研究所檝e learned from that experience, and Health Minister Mark Holland said Monday that getting oral-health care providers on board is key.
害羞草研究所淚 think we害羞草研究所檝e been having very productive conversations on that basis and so I害羞草研究所檓 extraordinarily optimistic that there is going to be very strong uptake,害羞草研究所� Holland said.
Dentists don害羞草研究所檛 yet know how patients害羞草研究所� experiences will differ when they arrive for their appointment because those details haven害羞草研究所檛 yet been released by the federal government.
But Wolanski said it害羞草研究所檚 important for people to remember that unlike a private insurance program, people will have to requalify for the coverage every year.
害羞草研究所淚n order to qualify, you have to meet certain criteria in terms of your income, right? That doesn害羞草研究所檛 exist in private insurance,害羞草研究所� said Wolanski, a dentist from Nanaimo, B.C.
Under the new government program, patients害羞草研究所� eligibility and costs can shift year to year depending on their income.
Burry urged seniors and others who already have dental coverage to hold onto it until they have more information about the potential trade-offs.
The details of the program are expected to be fleshed out before May 2024, when the first cohort of plan members are expected to start being able to claim dental services through the government plan.
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