Health Minister Mark Holland is on the road to sell a new federal dental care plan to Canadian dentists and hygienists, amid growing concerns about how much the government plans to pay providers.
Late last year, the government began enrolling seniors in dental insurance plans as part of a new program that provides dental benefits directly to people who are currently uninsured.
It is anticipated that those first enrolled in the program will be able to begin receiving teeth cleanings and treatments in May, provided they have access to a registered oral health provider to provide care. Limited.
Dental associations and hygienists support the program, but balk at a fee guide released by the federal government last month that pays less than what state and territory guides recommend. It shows.
According to the Canadian Dental Association, there are approximately 16,000 dental clinics in Canada. Oral surgeons, dentists, and independent hygienist offices must also enroll in this program.
“We need their participation to make this a success,” Holland said Friday.
Holland was located in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Meet with a variety of health care providers as the first stop on a tour across Canada to bring dentists and other health care providers on site.
He said negotiations regarding fees are ongoing.
“I’m committed to working closely with them and explaining that this is iterative and it’s not going to be perfect the first time,” Holland said.
Dental care providers have expressed concerns about how the new federal dental care plan will affect their workload and pay. The plan is expected to be rolled out in the new year.
The program is the result of a political agreement the Liberals struck with the NDP two years ago, and will eventually be available to any uninsured person with an annual household income of less than $90,000.
The government is gradually expanding eligibility first, starting with the elderly, then moving up to children under 18 and people receiving disability tax credits.
So far, 1.5 million seniors have enrolled in the program, but Holland said the government is unsure how many dentists, hygienists and other oral health workers are needed to actually provide the care. said he has not set any goals.
“Even if all providers were registered, there would still be people who cannot access care because their dentist is too far away,” Holland said of people living in remote, rural communities.
“So not everyone can get coverage right out of the gate.”
- Do you have questions about how Canada’s new dental care plan affects you? Email ask@cbc.ca.
Dentist and hygienist organizations expressed concern about the burden on patients if the government does not reimburse health care providers for the actual cost of providing services.
“Canadians will not have 100 per cent coverage of their treatment costs and in many cases will be required to pay a portion of their treatment costs out-of-pocket,” Heather Kerr, president of the Canadian Dental Association, said in a statement. Published on the association’s website.
Many other dentists may choose to opt out completely, she said, which would leave fewer providers and fewer options for patients.
The Netherlands defended the proposed reimbursement under this program as a balance between fairness for providers and fairness for taxpayers.
Holland said most of the services listed fall within 90% of the state’s recommended rate guide, which is compiled annually by the Association of Specialty Providers.
For some services, the federal government will only pay 70 to 80 percent of the offered price. Holland said these are not the most important services.
“They are in the convenience category, in a way, rather than the essential medicine category,” he said.
