Dental Care Plan: 27,000 Canadians found ineligible, 43K will have higher co-payment

About one per cent of Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) members have been found to be ineligible for the program or assessed at an inaccurate co-payment level. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

About one per cent of Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) members have been found to be ineligible for the program or assessed at an inaccurate co-payment level, Health Canada said in a statement Tuesday.

It added that the issue resulted from an error calculating some applicants’ incomes, when their eligibility was being determined.

Health Canada says approximately 27,000 active members were found to be ineligible, and another 43,000 will have a higher co-payment level. Of those 70,000 impacted individuals, 28,000 had already received dental care as of Oct. 3.

The government started notifying Canadians impacted by the changes to their CDCP coverage on Oct. 17.

Those impacted won’t have to repay the difference in co-payment or any amounts covered by the CDCP for dental care received before Oct. 24.

In a release, Health Canada encouraged CDCP members who don’t have a My Service Canada Account (MSCA) to create one in order to stay up to date on important communication related to their coverage.

The CDCP, which was launched in December 2023, provides access to dental care for uninsured Canadians who face financial barriers.

In July, the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) voiced concerns over what it called gaps in the national dental program. The association said there were discrepancies in the plan that were “compromising the ability of dentists to provide timely and effective care to patients.”

The CDA also warned of the potential for unintended erosion of employer-sponsored dental plans, as some employers might drop benefits for employees who would qualify for the CDCP.

More than 5.5 million Canadians currently receive coverage under the plan, and more than three million have already received care. The coverage saves recipients an average of $800 per year.