The federal health minister says the national dental care plan will be spared from spending cuts, but pressed on the program’s uptake – nearly half of those enrolled have yet to visit a dentist – Marjorie Michel says “it’s still a work in progress.”
The minister spoke to the state of the program at an event in Ottawa on Thursday touting the “milestone” of having more than five million Canadians enrolled and approved to receive coverage under the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP).
“It’s still a new program,” she said. “People have their little card in their hands, and they will reach out to the dentist when they need. So, I feel to have people enrolled in the program is key for them to have the opportunity to go.”
As part of a phased rollout, the government began accepting claims for dental coverage for seniors in May 2024, the expansion of eligibility concluded this May, with Canadians ages 18-64.
Now, six months after the program opened to low-income and uninsured Canadians of all ages, 5.2 million applicants have been approved, according to federal statistics.
However, of those, around 2.8 million have actually received dental care. The government’s target when the program launched was to reach eight million Canadians.
The Liberals have billed the CDCP as one of the largest social programs in Canadian history. Initially, some dental care providers hesitated to enroll. But now, more than 98 per cent of active dentists, dental hygienists, denturists, and dental specialists have signed on, according to Health Canada.
Given these statistics, Michel was asked to confirm whether the CDCP would be unscathed in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first federal budget. This summer, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne asked ministers to find 15 per cent in savings in day-to-day operational spending. Michel said there will be “no” reductions to the program as it currently stands.
“The dental care program is one of the commitments that our government did when we won the election in April. So, it’s still moving on,” she said.
The Liberal election platform pledged to protect public programs like child care, pharmacare and dental care from budget cuts. Carney’s first federal budget is expected to be released on Nov. 4.
Asked if there are any plans to expand the CDCP – which helps cover the cost of a range of dental procedures from cleanings and fillings, to dentures and surgical removals, the minister said: “Well, we’ll see.”
As for the status of the federal pharmacare program – and whether this government intends to implement a universal program beyond the initial contraceptive and diabetes coverage – the minister said that “in principle” the Liberals agree with the concept.
However, “the context right now is very difficult, financially, for every government.”
Michel said she’s continuing to talk to her provincial and territorial counterparts “to see how we as a federal government can better support them in their healthcare system.”
