Federal dental program in effect in Alberta until 2026

Dentist, denturist groups call for clarity and resolution

Albertans who receive dental care under the federal Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) will still be covered for the time being, despite Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s announcement that the province will opt out of the plan.

The federal plan is being administered independently of provincial health authorities. While this assures coverage will be in place until 2026, it is part of some provinces’—including Alberta’s—objection to the initiative.

The province’s existing plans cover approximately 500,000 Albertans according to a letter from Smith to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau June 25. In the letter, Smith says that although the CDCP will provide coverage to more Albertans, there will be overlap and redundancy affecting those already covered.

She said healthcare is an exclusively provincial jurisdiction, and she invited Trudeau to negotiate a funding arrangement rather than operate a federal program. She called for an arrangement that will allow Alberta “to use this unconditional funding  to expand dental coverage to more low-income Albertans.”

The Alberta Dental Association (ADA) and the Denturists Association of Alberta (DAA) both say they want to see the matter settled in a way that is fair to their members and that offers the best outcomes for Albertans’ health. 

“We welcome any plan that makes it easier for patients to go to the dentist,” said Dr. Hans Hercher, president-elect of the ADA. “The federal plan, though, still has a significant number of flaws.” 

Hercher said the plan has been an administrative headache for many of the participating dentists (fewer than 40 per cent of Alberta dentists have registered for the plan). Who is covered for what services depends on several variables, he said. This makes it difficult and time-consuming for dentists to give patients the right information.

He said there is also a risk of “de-insurance,” where employers may reduce the dental benefits to their employees under the assumption that the CDCP will make up the difference.

“They may drop their excellent coverage, and that employee is now pushed to this federal government plan,” Hercher said. “Such plans are invariably less beneficial to patients than a company plan.”

Cheryl Young is the DAA’s past president and current chairperson of the organization’s Fee Guide committee. She said  denturists have had a better experience than the dentists communicating with the federal government through the development and rollout of the CDCP. Despite having to deal with the misconception that CDCP provides free dental care, Young says denturists have adopted the program with relative ease.

She says the CDCP is allowing more people, especially older people, to get important denture care.

“For the most part, patients know that this is not free,” Young said. “The program pays approximately 85 per cent of our current fee, which is good. It’s great that Canadian residents have been able to access dental care that otherwise didn’t have any coverage.”

Young said Alberta and New Brunswick are the only two provinces that did not coordinate benefits with the CDCP. Nunavut’s health minister has also said the CDCP offers less coverage than the territory’s existing plan.

“When it did roll out that Alberta was not going to be coordinating benefits with the federal government, that was disappointing and unfortunate,” she said, “especially for seniors.”

Alberta’s dentists’ and denturists’ associations are both hopeful that the province and the federal government will be able to integrate their dental coverage in a way that benefits Albertans who currently lack coverage—whether that is under the CDCP or through federal funding to Alberta programs.

“We will work with both the federal government and the provincial government,” Hercher said. “Health care is ultimately a provincial jurisdiction that can be funded federally. But we would work with either level of government. 

“Ultimately, we believe there simply needs to be consultation with the dentists,” he added. “Too often these plans are designed politically, and that doesn’t function at the clinic level.”

Young agrees that future discussions should focus on outcomes for patients. “I never thought dental care could turn so political,” she said.

Seniors can get assistance through Alberta’s Low Income Health Benefits program or the Dental and Optical Assistance for Seniors program. The seniors’ program caps coverage at $5,000 for a five-year period.

Young says denturists are negotiating an updated fee guide with the province, but the provincial  programs remain limited in who they serve and how much support they offer patients. Denturists and dentists are paid by the province according to their respective fee guides, which haven’t been updated in years.

“In the current negotiations we’re really needing some big changes,” Young said. “The two programs need to have some changes for us to be able to continue to work with them.

“If the fee guides were to be updated, the eligibility and the coverage still wouldn’t match what CDCP is offering.”

She says seniors are better served under the CDCP.

Hercher says dentists are open to an arrangement between both levels of government that works for patients and practitioners. What matters most, he says, is that Albertans can take care of their teeth and have access to a dentist.

“I think that’s important, and we really encourage Danielle Smith and her government to come to the table and talk to us,” he said. “Let’s not sort this out in the media. Let’s have fruitful discussions in private.”