Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says her government is working very hard to provide dental coverage for children by the end of this year, but she acknowledges that creating new programs is “complicated”.
The Liberals promised the New Democratic Party (NDP) last March a new dental program for low- and middle-income families, as part of a “support and confidence agreement” aimed at allowing the Liberal minority government to stay in power, if possible, until 2025.
Under the agreement, the government has until the end of the year to provide some form of coverage for children under 12 with family incomes under $90,000, failing which the NDP has promised to withdraw.
Several groups have expressed their concerns about this very tight deadline at the end of the year. Sources familiar with the program say, however, that the government is working on a temporary solution, which would provide direct reimbursement to eligible families, while a permanent program is in place.
“As we’ve seen, for example, when rolling out child care arrangements across the country, delivering new services to Canadians is complicated,” Ms. Freeland said when asked about the plan. provisional, at a press conference in Toronto. I think Canadians understand that. »
Ms Freeland neither confirmed nor denied the government’s plans for an interim measure, but she said the Liberals were committed to this dental program, and that it was a commitment she was ” happy to take.
The government could enter into dental care agreements similar to those it has entered into with the provinces for the national child care program. Ottawa then offered provincial governments money to administer their own program, according to a prescribed set of criteria. But that path seems increasingly unlikely.
Federal officials also asked dental care experts about other approaches. For example, the government could outsource the administration of the national program to a private insurance company, or entrust this work to federal officials.
“Kids shouldn’t have rotten teeth just because their parents don’t have enough money to go to the dentist — I think it’s as simple as that,” Ms. Freeland said.
Ms. Freeland recalls, however, that her government has already made a clear commitment when it set aside $5.3 billion over five years, in the most recent budget, for this program.
Last week, New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh said he was confident the dental program would be in place by the end of the year, as set out in the agreement he signed with the liberals.
Ms Freeland said on Tuesday that her government was working “very, very hard” to deliver on its promise.