More than one million Canadians have accessed CDCP benefit, says federal government
The federal government is further expanding the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) to include more services, according to the federal government.
Since the start, the program has started accepting requests for services that require preauthorization, allowing Canadians to receive services such as the initial placement of partial dentures, or crowns, as well as requests for services when a CDCP patient has a particularly high need or complex condition.
Each request will be assessed thoroughly on a case-by-case basis to see if the course of treatment recommended by the oral health practitioner meets the clinical criteria for coverage under the CDCP.
This comes as more than one million Canadians have now accessed the CDCP, according to the federal government.
“In just six months, more than one million Canadians have received care through the CDCP. That is one million stories of Canadians getting dental care for a healthier, better life,” said Mark Holland, minister of health.
“Eighty-nine per cent of oral health providers are already delivering care though the CDCP, and now with expanded services and paper claims, even more Canadians will access better, more affordable health.”
More than 22,340 oral health providers nationwide are providing care to Canadians covered under the plan.
In July, Ottawa allowed all dental care providers to provide care under the CDCP on a claim-by-claim basis without formally signing up.
The CDCP is also accepting paper claims for services covered under the CDCP. While most providers have been able to submit claims electronically since May 2024, providers who only work with paper claims will now also submit claims for their services.
“Since last spring, thousands of Quebecers have already benefited from care covered by the Canadian Dental Care Plan. Today's addition of a new range of services enhances this plan, which meets a real need in the population,” said Carl Tremblay, president of the Association des chirurgiens-dentistes du Québec.
“For Quebec, this is the largest-ever public oral health care program and will give more than 2 million people access to this essential health care. We hope that the winning conditions will be in place to allow this program to be fully implemented by 2025, and to ensure its sustainability.”
Under the plan, providers have to bill Sun Life directly and accept payment for services covered under the CDCP, regardless of how they choose to participate.
Once a claim is approved, providers will receive reimbursement from Sun Life within 48 hours. That timeframe will go down to within 24 hours in the future, according to the government.
Online applications are currently open for seniors aged 65 and above, adults with a valid federal Disability Tax Credit certificate for 2023, and parents or guardians with children under 18. Applications for all remaining eligible Canadians will begin in 2025.
Eligible Canadians who successfully apply to the CDCP will receive a welcome package which will include their coverage start date (benefit effective date). This date is found in their welcome letter rather than on their CDCP member card.
Once fully implemented, the CDCP will help make oral health care more affordable for up to nine million Canadian residents who do not currently have access to dental insurance.
In September, the federal government launched an ad campaign in support of CDCP, hoping to increase Canadians’ awareness about the program.
