(Ottawa) Health Canada will consult provincial dental associations that have complained about being left in the dark about the new federal dental care plan — but only if they sign a confidentiality agreement.
Health Minister Mark Holland highlighted this condition in his response to provincial and territorial dental associations, which last month expressed serious concerns about the lack of information from Canadian dentists on critical aspects of the new plan that should be launched before the end of the year.
In a joint letter sent to the federal health minister, the associations said they feared the success of the new plan could be compromised “by a lack of meaningful consultation with the dentists we represent — those who are supposed to keep the government’s promises.” .
Mr. Holland responded to the provincial and territorial associations with his own letter on Wednesday, in which he committed to dialogue with them.
PHOTO ADRIAN WYLD, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Federal Health Minister Mark Holland
However, he indicated that the associations had recently refused to discuss with the government after being asked to keep these discussions secret.
“A successful launch requires communicating the program simply and clearly to Canadians, which is why we recommend that these conversations take place within the framework of confidentiality agreements until the details are finalized,” Holland wrote. .
A meeting canceled unexpectedly
The 10 provincial dental associations, in addition to those for the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, had signed confidentiality agreements in anticipation of a meeting with the federal government, said the Dr Brock Nicolucci, President of the Ontario Dental Association.
He explained that the meeting was canceled unexpectedly and no new date had been set. The associations therefore withdrew from the agreement.
“We would not have been able to speak to our members, to the public [aux médias] and keep everyone informed. Without a meeting date, it didn’t sit well with us, so we backed out and canceled our non-disclosure agreement,” said Mr. Nicolucci, who has a practice in London, Ont.
He said he was happy to receive the minister’s letter and the provincial and territorial associations will have to discuss whether they accept a new confidentiality agreement in anticipation of a future meeting.
Their concern, he said, is that with the new federal insurance plan expected to be announced in a few weeks, it might be too late for them to make a meaningful contribution.
“They come to us at the last minute, with only two months left. We should have been at the table from day one,” argued Mr. Nicolucci.
Three other dental groups the government consulted on developing the dental plan, including the Canadian Dental Association, told the Canadian Press they had agreed to sign confidentiality agreements.
Health Canada began developing a new dental insurance plan last year, after the Liberals signed a “support and confidence agreement” with the New Democrats, who campaigned on such a plan during the election of 2021.
The deal, in which the opposition party supports the minority Liberals on key votes in the House of Commons in exchange for action on the NDP’s top priorities, promises dental coverage for middle- and low-income families.
The new insurance program is expected to be announced before the end of the year, but claims may not be accepted until 2024.
The spring budget promised $13 billion over the next five years to implement the National Dental Care Scheme, which the federal government says will insure up to nine million people.
The government plans to start by covering uninsured people under the age of 18, seniors and people with disabilities whose annual family income is less than $90,000.
In his letter, Holland said the dental associations’ ideas were heard and considered throughout the process of designing the new insurance plan.
In a written statement Thursday, Mr. Holland’s office said it held numerous consultations throughout the process, with some under nondisclosure agreements and others not, “depending on the level of detail shared, including decisions about costs and services.
“This is part of due diligence in developing a policy that will cost the government more than $13 billion over five years and help nine million Canadians,” the written statement added.
Quebec already has a dental care program for children under 10 and recipients of a financial assistance program. The government of François Legault indicated that it did not want to join the Canadian regime and wanted a right of withdrawal with full financial compensation.