'I don't see why the older retirees have been left out. It's atrocious'
Some federal retirees in Canada are voicing concerns about being excluded from recent improvements to the Public Service Dental Care Plan (PSDCP), which now offers greater coverage to current federal employees.
As of Jan. 1, 2025, there has been an increase to the annual maximum for routine and major services from $2,500 to $3,000. This will go up to $3,250 as of Jan. 1, 2027.
Also, there has been an increase to the lifetime orthodontic maximum from $2,500 to $3,000 effective Jan. 1, 2025. This will jump to $3,250 as of Jan. 1, 2027/
While all federal employees, retirees and their dependants share the same PSHCP for medical and vision care administered by Canada Life, there are two separate dental plans.
Retirees like Debbie Myers say they feel forgotten.
“Where do we fit in? Why were we left out? I don't see why the older retirees have been left out. It's atrocious,” Myers told CBC.
Alberta had previously noted its intention to opt out of Ottawa’s new dental care plan.
The PSDCP provides coverage to approximately 325,000 members who are retirees. They pay a monthly fee for half the annual coverage afforded to current employees, according to CBC.
For Myers, the gap has been financially burdensome. She estimated spending $13,000 on dental work over the past two years, with only $3,000 covered by the plan.
“I’ve had two root canals done this year and I’ve had more procedures done... It’s a lot of money,” she explained. “I just can’t keep waiting for next year for my $1,500. It’s beyond a joke, really. It’s just unbelievable.”
Dorothy Cushway, a retiree and former director of the National Association of Federal Retirees, said seniors often experience more dental issues as they age, making the limited coverage even more problematic. “Our teeth get frail and, well, for myself, I even just ate something that wasn’t even hard and half my tooth broke off,” she said.
With this, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat noted that the pensioners' dental plan is voluntary and offers coverage for certain services and supplies not covered by provincial or territorial health care plans.
“The benefits under the PDSP are on par with similar retiree plans,” the department said in a statement, according to CBC. “There are currently no plans to make changes to PDSP benefits.”
Nearly half (48%) of workers say their employer’s health care plans are important in their decision to join the company, according to a previous Willis Towers Watson (WTW) report.
National dental plan raises questions
The introduction of the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) last May has added another layer of complexity for retirees, according to the report. The taxpayer-funded program provides dental coverage for low- to middle-income Canadians, including seniors over 65, who lack private insurance.
However, some federal retirees told CBC they are contemplating dropping their private dental coverage in favour of the national plan, believing it might offer better benefits. But retirees like Myers and Cushway have been informed that their access to a private plan disqualifies them from joining the CDCP, even if it falls short of the national plan’s offerings, according to the CBC report.
Anthony Quinn, chief operating officer of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons, acknowledged the challenges facing retirees as the federal plan rolls out.
“The dental care plan has long been asked for by seniors in Canada. It answers a very grave need,” he told CBC. “But as we’re rolling this massive national program out, there’s certain to be some hurdles and I think qualifications for those who have opted to pay into a private health-care plan, that’s one of the hurdles to be straightened out.”
Quinn encouraged retirees to consult their private insurers to explore whether opting out of their current plan could make them eligible for the CDCP.
Meanwhile, retirees like Myers hope the Treasury Board will address the growing inequities within the PDSP.
“I do think it needs to change, and I think it needs to change sooner rather than later. This is affecting a lot of people,” Myers said.
In September 2024, the federal government launched an ad campaign in support of CDCP, hoping to increase Canadians’ awareness about the program.
