The dental care insurance program proposed in Canada’s 2023 federal budget is set to cost more than twice what was originally estimated, according to a report by The Canadian Press.
The 2023 budget released on Tuesday outlined the government’s plans for the program, stating that it will cost $13 billion over five years and $4.4 million ongoing. This brings the program’s cost up from what was initially indicated in the 2022 budget, which estimated the ongoing cost of the program would be about $1.7 billion per year.
A temporary dental benefit for uninsured children under the age of 12 from households making less than $90,000 previously established by the government is set to be scrapped in June 2024. Replacing it is the newly proposed dental care insurance program, which aims to provide wider coverage.
As reported by The Canadian Press, the Liberals plan to open eligibility this year to those under 18, seniors, and people with disabilities who are uninsured and meet the income criteria. By 2025, eligibility will be expanded further to include anyone who meets the household income requirements.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said the government’s new dental care plan will begin to roll out by the end of 2023 and will eventually cover “up to nine million uninsured Canadians.”
At a press conference held on the same day of the budget’s release, she acknowledged that the program “does cost a lot of money,” but maintained that it is a “necessary expansion of health care.”
The Canadian Dental Association had given earlier warnings that the initial estimated cost of the program would be inefficient, considering the price of private dental insurance.
“We could tell that the amount that they proposed – which we were happy to see – wasn't going to be sufficient if they expected another nine million Canadians to be able to get in to see the dentist,” Dr. Lynn Tomkins, the association’s president, told The Canadian Press.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer also issued a similar warning last summer, as it suggested that the government allocate $9 billion over a five-year period instead of its initial $5.3 billion estimate.
In addition to the new insurance program, the federal budget includes plans for an Oral Health Access Fund, which would pay for initiatives that make it easier for vulnerable communities and people living in rural and remote areas to care for their teeth.
The government has set aside $250 million for this fund, starting in the 2025-26 fiscal year, with an initial $50 million.
A proposal to allocate $23 million over the next two years to collect better data on oral health for the rollout of the dental insurance plan was also outlined in the budget.
What are your thoughts on the government’s plans to expand its dental care benefit program? Feel free to comment below.
