LONGUEUIL, QC, June 27,
2024 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
Minister of Public Services and Procurement joined by
Sherry Romanado, member of
Parliament for Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne, to announce that eligible
children under the age of 18 and adults with a valid Disability Tax
Credit certificate can now apply for the Canadian Dental Care
Plan.
Since the launch of the CDCP, more than 2 million seniors have
been approved to receive coverage under the Plan and since
May 1, more than 200,000 have already
gotten care for services like cleaning, fillings, dentures.
With applications opening today for two new groups of Canadians,
approximately 1.2 million more people will soon have access to
improved oral health. This will mean approximately 938,000 children
and close to 183,000 adults with a valid Disability Tax Credit
certificate will have more affordable access to the oral health
care that they need.
There are currently more than 11,400 oral health providers
including hygienists, dentists, and denturists offering a wide
range of services to CDCP clients. If CDCP clients do not already
have an oral health provider, they can consult Sun Life's CDCP
Provider Search to find a provider in their community or speak
to their local oral health provider to see if they accept CDCP
clients. As of July 8, any oral
health providers will be able to bill Sun Life directly for care
provided to any CDCP client without having to formally participate
in the program.
Successful applicants will receive a welcome package from Sun
Life within approximately three months of their application, which
will include an overview of their coverage and their coverage start
date. Expenses for treatments provided under the CDCP will not be
covered prior to the coverage start date.
CDCP patients may have to pay additional charges, in addition to
their co-payment, if applicable, depending on the services received
and the cost of the treatment. Before receiving any services, CDCP
patients should confirm the amount that is not covered by the
CDCP.
Oral health care is health care. No one should have to choose
between taking care of their teeth and paying their bills. The CDCP
is going to help make dental care more affordable for up to nine
million Canadians who are estimated to currently not have
coverage.
For more information, visit Canada.ca/dental.
Quotes
"Expanding eligibility to the CDCP to children under the age of
18 and to adults with valid Disability Tax Credits will mean that
more than one million additional Canadians will have affordable
access to the oral health care they need. This is about fairness
and making sure people have access to the care they need to be
healthy and have the dignity they deserve."
The Honourable Mark Holland
Minister of Health
"Oral health is crucial for your overall well-being.
Applications to the Canadian Dental Care Plan have been seamless
with more than two million successful applicants since its launch
in December 2023. Our primary goal is
to ensure that eligible individuals with disabilities, children
under 18, and seniors have access to essential oral health
services. Service Canada is fully
prepared to deliver high-quality and smooth client service as
Canadians continue to apply." ."
The Honourable Terry Beech
Minister of Citizens' Services
"Canadians with disabilities and youth can now apply for the
Canada Dental Care Plan! This will provide almost 1.2 million
Canadians with dental coverage, in addition to the 2 million
seniors who have already received coverage. By asking the very
wealthy to pay their fair share in taxes we're delivering historic
programs like the Canada Dental Care Plan that is putting money
back in the pockets of Canadians while also making our country
fairer for everyone."
The Honourable Kamal Khera
Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities
"Fairness for every generation starts with ensuring every child
in Canada has the best start in
life. That's why we've made transformative investments such as
affordable child care and the Canada Child Benefit. Increasing
access to dental health care to all children under 18 builds on our
plan to support families and their children across the country,
while ensuring every generation can reach their full
potential".
The Honourable Jenna Sudds
Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
"Today marks another major milestone in ensuring Canadians get
better access to affordable dental care. Following the successful
rollout of the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) for seniors,
children and youth under 18 and adults living with a disability are
now able to enroll to receive the oral health care they need and
deserve. Nobody should have to delay getting essential dental care
because they can't pay for it, and the CDCP is changing that".
The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
Minister of Public Services and Procurement
"Individuals who may be eligible for the disability tax credit
(DTC) can apply for it with the Canada Revenue Agency, even if they
do not have taxable income. Being approved for the DTC can help
access other federal programs like the Canadian Dental Care
Plan".
The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau
Minister of National Revenue
"The Canadian Dental Care Plan is changing lives. So no one has
to live with toothaches, gum disease, or old dentures. We're
expanding the Plan to help kids under 18 and persons with
disabilities get the care they need".
The Honourable Seamus O'Regan Jr.
Minister of Labour and Seniors
"As a mom, I understand how crucial regular dental checkups are
for our kids. With the expansion of the Canadian Dental Care Plan,
more young Canadians will have access to the dental care they need
without adding financial stress to their families. This plan is
about fairness and giving every child the best start in life. It's
about reducing barriers and ensuring a healthier future for
all".
The Honourable Marci Ien
Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth
"Today's announcement expanding eligibility for the Canadian
Dental Care Plan is critically important for families in
Longueuil as it will allow
thousands of young people and individuals living with a disability
to now have access to dental care."
Sherry Romanado
Member of Parliament, Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne, Quebec
"Accessibility to oral health care is at the heart of our
mission. And while it's a major challenge, I'm convinced that
together, with our government partners and healthcare colleagues,
we'll continue to implement initiatives like this one to ensure
that the entire population benefits from preventive and curative
dental care. And today, with the extension of the plan to people
under 18 and people living with a disability, we are taking a major
step towards greater accessibility."
Dr. Liliane MalczewskiPresident
Ordre des dentistes du Québec
"The Association des chirurgiens dentistes du Québec recognizes
the valuable contribution of the Canadian Dental Care Plan in
improving access to care that is essential to overall health. In
Quebec, this plan closes a gap in
the health care system for the less well-off population, by
broadening the portion of the population with dental care coverage
and increasing the range of eligible care. Only social assistance
recipients and children aged 9 and under are currently covered, for
certain treatments only, by the RAMQ public plan."
The Association des chirurgiens dentistes du Québec
Quick Facts
- Eligible seniors aged 65 and over can continue to apply to the
CDCP using the online application.
- In December 2022, the Government
of Canada launched the interim
Canada Dental Benefit (CDB) to help lower dental costs for eligible
families. The CDB helped close to 450,000 children under 12 receive
oral health care. With the CDB coming to an end on June 30th, those parents and guardians
are now invited to apply to the CDCP for the children under their
care to the CDCP for the children under their care.
- All remaining eligible Canadian residents between the ages of
18 and 64 will be able to apply online in 2025.
- CDCP provider participation is voluntary. Oral health providers
eligible to participate and who can bill for services include:
- dentists
- denturists
- dental hygienists
- dental specialists
- Earlier this month, the Government of Canada launched the Oral Health Access Fund
(OHAF). This Fund will support projects that aim to improve
training and capacity for oral health care providers, connect
people to oral health care, and deliver prevention and education
efforts to improve oral health.
Associated Links
- Canadian Dental Care Plan – Apply
- CDCP Provider Search Tool
- OHAF Call for proposals
SOURCE Public Services and Procurement Canada