Federal dental plan has "too many unknowns"

Federal dental plan has “too many unknowns” | Insurance Business Canada

Life & Health

Federal dental plan has “too many unknowns”

CDA still optimistic about the plan, which is more rudimentary than many insurance products

Life & Health

By
David Saric

With the announcement of the federal government’s dental plan, known as the CDCP, being offered to Canadians aged 87 and older last month, there are still many uncertainties about how it will be put into practice, according to the Canadian Dental Association president, Dr. Heather Carr.

“The government provided few details about the impacts of the program and the terms and conditions for the CDCP,” Dr. Carr said.

“There are still too many unknowns for dentists and their provincial and territorial dental associations.”

Elsewhere, Dr Carr was also a somewhat hesitant of whether this program, which is supposed to make dental work more accessible to many Canadians without any proper dental insurance coverage, will add to pressure on dental professionals.

“There is lack of clarity on what will be offered to eligible Canadians and what types of administrative burdens may be placed on an already strained healthcare profession,” she added.

However, she did note how “Dentists across Canada believe in a public program that ensures patients receive the appropriate preventative care they need to live healthy lives.

“The CDA is encouraged to see that the government is moving forward with this program.”

In an interview with Insurance Business, Dr. Carr spoke about how dental plans differ from insurance products and how the organization has been involved in guiding and influencing policy thus far.

Dental plans are “quite different than other types of insurance”

Carr stressed that it is important to differentiate dental plans, such as this offering from the federal government, from other types of insurance products that most consumers might be used to.

“They’re quite different from other types of insurance,” Dr. Carr said, even though insurance companies may offer such products.

“Dental benefit plans are financial products offered by insurance companies. They help cover some of the expenses for dental care received by plan members and their eligible beneficiaries.”

Dental plans are much more rudimentary in scope, usually covering more standard costs and procedures that the average patient will undergo during a check up or appointment.

“They’re designed to assist with the routine expenses of oral health care and usually do not provide significant coverage for unexpected, major events like facial injuries and broken prostheses,” Dr. Carr said.

“While other types of insurance, like car and home insurance, protect against rare and significant incidents but don’t help with everyday maintenance expenses.”

As of now, the types of services that will be included in the plan include:

Preventive services, including scaling (cleaning), polishing, sealants and fluoride
Diagnostic services, including examinations and x-rays
Restorative services, including fillings
Endodontic services, including root canal treatments
Prosthodontic services, including complete and partial removable dentures
Periodontal services, including deep scaling
Oral surgery services, including extractions

There is currently no inclusion of any major event within the guidelines of the federal dental plan, which may cause uncertainty for individuals who need more specialized care unexpectedly.

Creating a proposed framework

Before the federal dental plan was announced, the Canadian Dental Association released a framework that would hopefully influence legislative decision making.

The recommendations that were put forth included:

The promotion delivery of dental care primarily through the existing network of dental offices, supplemented by public clinics, as needed.
Public dental care programs should remain a payer of last resort, after any privately funded coverage.
A federally funded program must be designed to complement and improve the care that Canadians have through existing federal, provincial and territorial programs.
Program design should ensure that administrative procedures do not impact or delay the provision of care to patients.
The federal government should address human resource challenges and staffing shortages in the oral health sector.
Any federal dental care formula should ensure the cost of treatment provided to patients is fully covered.

“We anticipate more information about the CDCP over the coming months and commit to provide advice and recommendations to Health Canada to ensure this program begins on the right footing,” Dr. Carr said.

“CDA will continue to provide advice to ensure the government treats dentists fairly and provides patients with the access to necessary oral health care.”