2023-12-11 20:26:15
After paying the children’s dentist, Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government announced Monday that seniors will also have access, in 2024, to the federal dental insurance plan agreed with the New Democratic Party (NDP), without waiting for an agreement. with Quebec.
Starting next May, the federal government will pay part or all of the Sun Life dental insurance bill for low-income seniors.
The first eligible will be those aged 87 and over. They will be invited to register for the plan next Monday, as long as their family income does not reach $90,000 per year and they do not already benefit from such insurance. Canadians over 65 will then be able to gradually register, according to their age group, until May 2024. Seniors with an annual income greater than $70,000 will have to pay a share. by 40%, which will rise to 60% for those earning between $80,000 and $89,999 per year. It will be mandatory to have filed your income tax return to benefit from this new coverage.
The Minister of Public Services and Supply, Jean-Yves Duclos, who until this summer was in charge of the Health portfolio, explained on Monday that he was proceeding in stages because of the “potential for strong support” for this announced program. during the 2023 budget.
Minors and disabled people
Children and adolescents under the age of 18, as well as people living with a disability, will be able to register for the program in June 2024. The federal government will inform eligible people by mail in the coming months. All other low-income residents of Canada should be eligible sometime in 2025, it is promised.
The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDSP) will phase in until fall 2024, meaning some eligible people will have to wait until then to receive a dental cleaning, filling or root canal.
The RCSD replaces the Canada Dental Benefit, which consisted of checks sent to the poorest parents since last year to pay the dentist bills of their children under 12 years old. Thirteen billion dollars are earmarked for this program for the next five years, starting in 2023-2024, according to the latest federal budget. Its price is expected to reach $4.4 billion per year therefollowing.
This public coverage of dental care is part of the agreement concluded between the Liberal Party of Canada and the NDP in 2022. This agreement allows the Liberal minority government to ensure the support of NDP MPs during key votes in the Communal room.
Ottawa calculates that up to 9 million residents of Canada will see their access to dental care improved, ultimately, thanks to the federal system. The press release states that it “encourages” provinces to “maintain their existing dental programs and continue to invest in oral health.”
In Quebec, for example, certain dental care is already provided free of charge in CHSLDs, for children under 10 years old or for social assistance recipients. The Legault government is also demanding from the federal government a right of withdrawal with full compensation.
Quebec dissatisfied
More than six months following the announcement of this program in the federal budget, Quebec has still not reached an agreement in principle to receive its share of the money. Monday’s announcement therefore made people cringe. “We have another example of the federal government which, clearly, cannot help but encroach on Quebec’s areas of jurisdiction. Quebec already has a dental care plan that works very well,” said the Minister responsible for Canadian Relations, Jean-François Roberge, in a written statement.
Quebec says it is “willing to improve” its dental insurance program, but refuses to join Ottawa’s new program. “The level of federal financial contribution must be commensurate with the additional costs resulting from the care it intends to offer. However, this is not currently the case,” indicated Mr. Roberge.
The Bloc Québécois was the spokesperson for this criticism, affirming that Monday’s announcement “savagely turns its back on Quebec”, to use the words of its parliamentary leader, Alain Therrien. “Why impose a regime incompatible with that which Quebec has adopted? » he asked in the House.
Liberal Minister Jean-Yves Duclos instead assured that the new regime represents “good news for the government of Quebec”. According to him, this preventive care might help avoid visits to overcrowded hospital emergency rooms, especially in the context of an aging population.
Although it will still be several months before many eligible people can register and begin receiving care, NDP health critic Don Davies said his party is pleased to be able to begin implement a concrete program before the deadline. Toothaches are “the main reason why children miss school,” argued Mr. Davies, lead NDP negotiator on this issue.
Nothing has yet been announced regarding the federal drug insurance plan, another issue for which the Trudeau government promised the NDP a bill by the end of this year. The Minister of Health, Mark Holland, simply said that he will provide news “soon”.
The Government of Canada emphasizes that poor oral health can lead to many diseases, such as complications related to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, and other potentially fatal health problems. Generally speaking, a healthy smile is associated with a good quality of life.
With François Carabin and The Canadian Press
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