Today, the federal government announced that the upcoming roll-out of the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) will be a phased approach with applications opening this month for seniors 87 and above, expanding to other groups month-by-month.
Once fully implemented, the CDCP will help ease financial barriers to accessing oral health care for up to nine million uninsured Canadian residents with an annual family income of less than $90,000.
“The Canadian Dental Care Plan will be transformative for our country,” Health Minister Mark Holland said in a statement.
After first starting with seniors aged 87 and above in December, the CDCP will expand in phases to those aged 77 to 86 in January 2024, followed by those aged 72 to 76 in February 2024, then those aged 70 to 71 in March 2024. Individuals in these age groups who may be eligible will receive letters inviting them to apply, with instructions on how to validate their eligibility and apply by telephone.
In May 2024, applications will shift to an online portal and will open for eligible seniors 65 and older. Persons with a valid Disability Tax Credit certificate and children under the age of 18 will be able to apply online starting June 2024. All remaining eligible Canadian residents between the ages of 18 and 64 will be able to apply online starting in 2025.
Canadians who are enrolled in the CDCP will be able to start seeing an oral health provider as early as May 2024, starting with seniors. The start date to access oral health care will vary based on when each group can apply, when the application is received and when enrolment is completed. This coverage start date, details of coverage, and member card will be sent by Sun Life, the contracted service provider, in a welcome package.
A wide range of oral health care services will be covered under the CDCP to prevent and treat oral health disease. Examples of these services include preventive care such as scaling (cleaning), polishing, as well as other services such as exams, x-rays, fillings, removable dentures, and root canal treatments. As part of a continuous improvement approach, the CDCP will be reviewed regularly based on data and evidence to ensure it meets the needs of Canadians.
The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) will be administered by Health Canada in collaboration with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), through Service Canada, and Sun Life.
Budget 2023 announced an investment of $13 billion over five years, starting in 2023-24, and $4.4 billion ongoing, to implement CDCP.
The estimated value of the contract with Sun Life is $746,698,598.22. The duration of the contract is five years and includes two 24-month option periods and one 12-month option period, for a total of five additional option years.
The Canada Dental Benefit will continue to support families with children under the age of 12 until June 30, 2024. Parents and caregivers will be able to apply for the CDCP for children under the age of 18 as of June 2024.
