OTTAWA — Health Minister Mark Holland is on tour to sell Canadian dentists and hygienists on the new federal dental care plan as concerns mount about what the government plans to pay providers for their services.
The government started enrolling seniors to the dental-coverage plan late last year as part of a new program to deliver dental benefits directly to people who don't currently have insurance.
There are roughly 16,000 dental offices in Canada, the Canadian Dental Association said. The program also needs oral surgeons, denturists and independent hygienists offices to register. The program is the result of the political pact the Liberals signed with the NDP two years ago, and will eventually be available to any uninsured person with an annual family income under $90,000 per year.
"Even if every single provider signed up, there are still people who are just too distant to a dentist to be able to get care," Holland said, speaking specifically about people who live in remote, rural communities.Dentists and hygienists' associations raised concerns about the burden on patients if the government doesn't reimburse providers for the actual cost of delivering the service.
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