The Canada Dental Care Plan (CDCP) plans to start offering coverage next month, but it remains unclear whether enough dentists will be able to sign up to provide care to the 1.6 million seniors already registered. isn’t it.
Health Canada did not provide CBC News with the number of oral health care providers who have registered with CDCP since applications began on March 11. The ministry said only that “several thousand people” had signed it.
According to the national association, there are approximately 26,500 dentists, 1,700 independent hygienists and 2,400 practicing dentists in Canada, for a total of 30,500 people.
“We’re hearing that registration is delayed,” said Dr. Heather Kerr, president of the Canadian Dental Association. “I don’t think the amount is as high as we would like for this plan to be successful.”
$13 billion canadian dental care planwas announced in December and will provide dental insurance to low- and middle-income Canadian residents who do not have private insurance. The national program will eventually cover a quarter of Canadians, but Ottawa is gradually expanding eligibilitylet’s start with the seniors.
Elderly person learns that dentist is not participating
Some seniors who have been approved for insurance have discovered that their dentists do not have insurance.
“It was frustrating. It was really frustrating,” said Karen Trimingham, 82, of Yarmouth, New South Wales, who has been seeing the same dentist for 16 years. She said, “I’m a regular, so I didn’t expect to be turned down.”
Trimingham said she doesn’t want to drive hours from her rural area to find a dentist in another city enrolled in the program.
“I have to keep paying my bills. I just go to my dentist and get minimal procedures done,” she said. “Instead of replacing this tooth that I lost a few months ago, I’m going to leave this gap alone.”
Joanne Thibault, 68, a senior from Victoria, British Columbia, said her dentist won’t be participating either.
“I’m really angry that the federal government came out and announced a dental plan and didn’t do their homework to develop a plan so my dentist could participate,” she said.
“I’m not abandoning the dentist. I just want the federal government to do its job and fix this problem so she can do her job.”
The president of the association does not have a contract for his clinic.
Canada’s dentists, hygienists and dentists broadly support the idea of a national public dental health plan that would provide essential oral health care to those most in need who would otherwise have to pay out of pocket. It claims to help.
However, presidents of some provincial dental associations who are practicing dentists themselves told CBC News they have no plans to offer the program at their clinics.
They say Ottawa has not yet provided enough details about the program, which is expected to begin in the coming weeks.
They also say they are troubled by the fact that Ottawa requires them to sign a contract to participate in the program, which is not required under any other public or private plan. This is not the case.
“Patients should have autonomy and the right to choose their own dentist,” said Dr. Jenny Doerksen, president of the Alberta Dental Association.
“But unlike other dental plans, this federal program requires dentists to sign a seven-page contract that contains many unknown factors and unnecessary terms.”
Dental care providers said they were also concerned that it would impose a lot of new paperwork on already overburdened administrative staff.
“My staff told me in no uncertain terms that they didn’t want to do the program because they couldn’t bear the extra burden that came with it,” said Dr. Rob Woranksi, president of the BC Dental Association. he said.
CDCP is Non-insured medical benefitsa federal program that provides dental care to First Nations and Inuit in Canada.
“This program has faced criticism over the years from both patients and the patient community as well as health care providers,” said Dr. Darron Baxter, president of the Manitoba Dental Association.
“One of the main reasons is that the administrative burden is intensive and often delays the delivery of care.”
Dentists also don’t yet know how CDCP will coordinate with other plans offered by states and territories.
Last minute consultation
The province’s dental association says Ottawa only began offering consultations in November, just a month before the program was announced.
“Dentists were brought in at the 11th hour,” said Dr. Brock Nicolucci, president of the Ontario Dental Association.
“Why are we getting off to such a slow start and rushing through a program where we might need to put the brakes on?”
Heather Kerr, president of the Canadian Dental Association, said her colleagues are “hopeful” that the new federal dental care program will lead to better care for more Canadians, but the rollout will be difficult for dentists and patients. He said it would involve “a great deal of disruption and a great deal of complications” for the United States.
They say the federal government also initially marketed the plan as providing “free” dental care, but that’s not really the case.
The program covers only some types of dental practice and pays dental providers at lower rates than recommended by state and territory guidelines published by dental associations. Dentists say they don’t yet know exactly how much the federal government will pay for the treatment. These amounts change each year. His CDCP guide for 2024 has not been published yet.
People with household incomes between $70,000 and $90,000 also have large copayments.
This means that most patients should still expect a bill after visiting the dentist.
Health Minister Mark Holland suggested Ottawa could ease the agreement to bring more dental providers on board.
“We’re actively working on creating an alternative portal where dentists can participate directly. When a patient comes in front of them, they can just enter their information and they can enter their claim.” Holland told reporters. This week we’re stopping by Winnipeg.
Holland likened CDCP to the introduction of universal health care in Canada, which he said also had its challenges.
“There’s a lot of anxiety because it’s a new program, I understand that,” Holland said.
“But from conversation to conversation, we are moving forward in a very positive manner and we believe we will have very strong support.”
Do you have questions about how Canada’s new dental care plan affects you? Email ask@cbc.ca.
