New dental care program for low-income Canadians
Children under the age of 12 will be able to get dental insurance this year.
The deal to launch the dental program is part of a "supply and trust" agreement between the Liberals and the New Democratic Party (NDP). The federal Liberals agreed to prioritize specific policies supported by the New Democrats in exchange for the latter's support of the Liberal program through 2025.
Due to the implementation of the national dental care plan, families whose annual income does not exceed $90,000 CAD, as long as they do not have dental insurance, will be eligible for dental coverage. Anyone earning less than $70,000 CAD per year will also not have to pay a co-payment, which is a flat fee that may otherwise be charged each time a person applies. Dental fees will be fully covered by the state for any person or family earning less than $70,000 CAD.
The system would operate similarly to private insurance plans. The plan does not require special investments in health care infrastructure or the hiring of workers to meet the needs of dental patients. Under this plan, about 6.5 million Canadians are expected to receive care. By 2025, that number could drop slightly to 6.3 million due to demographic shifts and improved labour market conditions.
The plan is to be phased in over 3 years before the Liberals and NDP agreement expires in 2025. Beginning at the end of this year, children under the age of 12 will be eligible. Beginning in 2023, the program will also cover eighteen-year-olds, seniors, and people with disabilities.
The program is expected to cost $1.3 billion CAD for the first year after the plan is announced and $4.3 billion CAD for the first year of the plan. Thereafter, costs will decrease to CAD1.5 billion per year and remain at that level through 2025.
The much higher cost in the first year of the program is due to the anticipation of a surge in Canadian dental claims, which will gradually decline thereafter. More precise figures about the cost of the program will probably be disclosed in the federal budget, which is expected to be published this April.
