“Starting today, thousands and thousands of seniors will be able to access free dental care,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau boasted while speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday. However, due to a lack of interested dentists, many Canadians will not actually have access to these new rates anytime soon.
On the first day of its entry into force across the country, the new federal dental care plan is still enjoying relatively little success. According to Ottawa, 6,500 dental care providers are currently registered in the program, or approximately 20% of providers in the country.
“What the Prime Minister should have said is that today, there are thousands of Canadians who have had a card, but who may not be able to use it,” said the D ironically.r Carl Tremblay, president of the Association of Dental Surgeons of Quebec.
The program enjoys great popularity among Quebecers, with already more than half a million registrations, but generates very little enthusiasm among providers, with only some 15% of dentists in the province currently participating, according to its estimates.
“I know it’s not very salesy for a Prime Minister who worked hard on a program like that, but that’s still the reality. Currently, there are many more patients registered than patients who will actually be able to obtain care,” he laments.
Ultimately, the Canadian plan will target the nearly 9 million Canadians who do not have private insurance and who have low or middle income. However, dentists’ membership in the program is voluntary.
The DD Liliane Malczewski, president of the Order of Dentists of Quebec, believes, however, that it is too early to judge the success of the program. “ [Une participation dans les alentours de 20 %]it may seem low at first glance, but as it is a brand new program, professionals sometimes keep a reservation before joining it,” she argues.
The two presidents interviewed agree on the many irritants that discourage dentists from registering for the new Ottawa program. For example, it will be impossible for professionals to demand immediate payment and then let the patient be reimbursed later by the insurance company.
Then there is the administrative burden surrounding the numerous eligibility criteria. “We must ensure that [le client] is registered and does not have private insurance, we must explain the program to him and be sure that he understands well. We still have a lot of responsibilities placed on our shoulders. It doesn’t seem like much, but it takes a lot of time,” explains Dr.r Tremblay.
False gratuity
On the day the program comes into force, the DD Liliane Malczewski is concerned to hear federal politicians tout the availability of “free” care. “The word “free” is completely misleading. Professionals benefiting from the program will have the flexibility to charge their regular rates,” she recalls.
Ottawa has established a fee schedule for covered care, but dentists retain the freedom to charge higher prices. In many cases, the rates set by the federal government are lower than those usually charged by dentists. If applicable, the difference must be paid by the patient.
“We told the federal government that it would be important to communicate this well to Canadians so as not to make people believe that it was going to be free or that dentists were going to give a discount,” warns the Dr Tremblay.
In Ottawa, the federal Department of Health says it is encouraging dentists to respect the new fee schedule, but will not crack down on those who choose to continue charging higher rates and billing patients the difference.
In interview with The duty, last month, the federal Minister of Public Services and Procurement, Jean-Yves Duclos, said he was hopeful that more and more professionals would join the program over time. “ [Les dentistes] know that this is something that will gradually be demanded by their customers. Many people who have never been to the dentist will request an appointment in the coming months. This is a new clientele that will be added,” he argued.
The dental plan was one of the main elements of the support and confidence agreement that the Liberal government of Justin Trudeau concluded with the New Democratic Party.