Canada’s Dental Care Plan Lacks Effectiveness: Analyzing the Flaws
TL/DR –
In Canada, 35% of the population lives without dental insurance and 24% avoid dental care due to cost. In an attempt to address this, the Canadian federal government unveiled the Canada Dental Care Plan (CDCP) in 2023, which offers coverage for eligible individuals (those with a net income of less than $90,000 and without private dental insurance) by 2025. However, the plan has been criticized for not going far enough, as it does not cover all oral health services, charges co-payments according to income, and administers through a private insurance company.
Canada’s Dental Care Plan: An Inadequate Answer to Dental Coverage Concerns
It’s concerning that 35% of Canadians are without dental insurance and 24% avoid dental check-ups due to cost. While Canada’s publicly-funded health care system is commendable, it fails to incorporate oral health care. The recent Canada Dental Care Plan (CDCP) appears to be a feeble attempt to address this gap.
New CDCP Offers Limited Coverage
On December 11, 2023, Canada’s federal government introduced the CDCP to support eligible Canadians with insufficient income and no private dental insurance. Despite its promises, the CDCP does not fully cover all oral health care services. Cosmetic services and certain major procedures such as surgical procedures, dentures, bridges, and mouth guards are excluded. The plan also imposes a maximum fee limit for covered services.
Loopholes in the System
Students, who often have limited income, are ineligible for CDCP coverage because they typically receive coverage from their universities. However, the coverage offered by universities, such as the University of Alberta, is woefully inadequate for undergraduates and graduate students.
Income-Based Co-Payments
Co-payment structure that scales with income is another limitation of the CDCP. While those with an income of less than $70,000 are fully covered, those earning between $70,000 and $79,999 will only receive 60% coverage. The program also allows dental care providers to charge above the covered rates, potentially burdensome for patients.
Public Health Care vs Private Business
The Canada Health Act of 1984 should consider dental care as essential, using public funding to cover everyone, akin to surgeries, cancer treatments, and emergency room visits. The current CDCP, with its tiered system and omission of certain individuals and services, does not seem robust enough. As such, Canadians should demand more.
First Step Towards Bolstering Canada’s Health-Care System
Regardless of the CDCP’s shortcomings, it’s a first step towards improving Canada’s health-care system. It’s hoped that it will be followed by the Canada Pharmacare Act, which would expand coverage for prescription drugs nationwide. Nonetheless, the fight for a high-quality, fully publicly-funded health-care system continues.
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