The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) is significantly impacting senior dental services provided by Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH) in Guelph and Orangeville, according to a Dec. 4 report.
Seniors enrolled in the Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program (OSDCP), who are also eligible for the CDCP, can access benefits from both programs. However, the programs cannot coordinate benefits. So far, the WDGPH reported that the waitlist for OSDCP services in Guelph decreased from 203 in the first quarter of 2024 to 101 in the second quarter, and then to 79 by the third quarter. In Orangeville, the waitlist dropped from 20 in the first quarter to 10 in the second quarter, and to five in the third.
The OSDCP, launched in 2019, provides low-income seniors aged 65 and older with free routine dental care. Initially, eligibility was capped at annual incomes of $22,200 for individuals and $37,100 for couples. These thresholds were later increased to $25,000 and $41,500, respectively.
The CDCP, introduced in December 2023, offers broader coverage for individuals with an adjusted family net income of less than $90,000. However, seniors accessing the CDCP may have to pay out-of-pocket costs for services not fully covered under its benefit guidelines, making the OSDCP a more suitable option for low-income seniors.
The news comes after Haliburton County announced in November that it would end its OSDCP services as the federal CDCP expands, a step that foretells the drastic changes impacting provincial programs.
Possible impact on children’s dental services
Meanwhile, WDGPH anticipates that the CDCP will also affect the Healthy Smiles Ontario (HSO) program, which provides free dental care for children and youth under 18. Although no significant changes have been reported in HSO preventive clinics so far, the health unit predicts an increase in demand for community dental services as more families enroll in the CDCP.
Children under 18 became eligible for the CDCP on June 27. The HSO program can supplement CDCP coverage when necessary. However, some dental offices in the WDG area now require children enrolled in HSO to also be enrolled in the CDCP to maximize reimbursement for services, which could create access barriers for families with private insurance or those not yet enrolled in the federal program.
‘First of its kind’
WDGPH described the CDCP as a “first of its kind” initiative in Canada since as of Oct. 30, nearly 2.8 million Canadians, including over 977,000 Ontarians, had been approved for the program. However, as the CDCP expands access to dental services, gaps remain for certain populations, such as newcomers who have not filed taxes and therefore do not qualify. WDGPH also noted that the program’s partial reimbursement model may not fully meet the needs of some seniors and families.
The health unit said it will continue to monitor its programs and adapt services as required to address these challenges.
