Dental Hygienists Raise Concerns Over Disparity in Dental Care Plan

CANADA: A newly launched national dental care plan has sparked concerns from the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) due to a significant disparity in reimbursement rates for independent hygienists compared to services provided in dentists’ offices. While reimbursement rates vary across provinces, the program pays considerably less for cleanings performed at private hygiene clinics.

Health Minister Mark Holland (pictured) expressed his reservations about the rationale behind the uneven treatment during Question Period on Parliament Hill. “I’m concerned about that too,” Holland stated. “I haven’t been convinced by the rationale defending it.” He acknowledged that the disparity was carried over from an existing federal benefit program for First Nations and Inuit communities.

Canada’s $13 Billion Dental Care Plan Boost Senior Oral Health

Copied from Indigenous Program

The fee guides for the new federal dental plan closely mirror those of the long-standing program for Indigenous Peoples. However, Holland assured that he is actively looking into the issue and aims to provide hygienists with more certainty “very soon.”

CDHA CEO Ondina Love revealed that the Health Minister has committed to implementing pay parity for independent hygienists under the new plan. “He has assured us, and his office has assured us, that they will be looking at implementing pay parity,” Love said, although no specific timeline has been provided yet.

Federal Dental Care Plan Enrolls Over 1.9 Million Canadians

Holland emphasized the integral role of hygienists in ensuring the success of the program, particularly in rural and remote areas of the country. “Even as we’re seeing huge numbers of dentists join this plan, which is so exciting, there are a lot of communities where they just don’t have enough folks, so oral hygienists are going to be a big part of that solution,” he stated.

Program Rollout

The dental program began accepting claims earlier this month, and 25,000 seniors have already received care under the plan. It is a key pillar of the Liberals’ political pact with the NDP and is expected to eventually offer government-sponsored coverage to all uninsured families with an annual income under $90,000 per year. The program is projected to cost $13 billion over five years and benefit nearly nine million Canadians.