Beginning on June 27, more Canadians will qualify for the new Canada Dental Care Program (CDCP). To explain further, Canadian families with children under the age of 18 might be eligible for the new (CDCP).
Canada’s dental program attempts to reduce the financial burden of individuals. It specifically targets individuals below a certain income threshold who have no private dental plan and need to pay for dental treatment out of pocket. Such programs are frequently provided as employment benefits for full-time workers. Find more plan details below.
More Canadians Will Qualify for New Canada Dental Care Program
This CDCP plan is being implemented gradually, in phases. Beginning in December 2023, qualified seniors over the age of 65 could utilize the program.
In its second phase, adults with disabilities and children under the age of 18 might be able to avail of the program benefits. This implies that eligible new immigrants will not required to pay for dental care for their children between the ages of 12 and 18.
Previously, this program provided dental care benefits to children under the age of 12. The remaining eligible Canadians will be able to utilize the plan expected to start in 2025.
Who is eligible for the Canada Dental Care Program?
Service Canada noted that all individuals who want to avail of the CDCP have to satisfy the following eligibility requirements:
- They must not be registered for any dental insurance plan
- They must possess a net family-adjusted income of less than $90,000
- In the previous years, they must have filed a tax return in Canada
- For tax purposes, they must be a Canadian resident
As per the last point, temporary residents in Canada on work or study permits are also eligible if they have one of the below-mentioned residency codes in their most recent Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
Eligible residency codes: 0, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12
Ineligible residency codes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 11, 13, 15
On behalf of Canada’s government, Sun Life offers coverage. It shares the applicant’s details with the insurance company. After enrolment, Sun Life will send the following details:
- Information on the CDCP
- A member card
- Beginning date of the coverage
According to the Service Canada website, oral health professionals will be allowed to directly bill Sun Life for services beginning July 4, 2024. This will be on a claim-by-claim basis without explicitly enrolling in CDCP.
This implies that participants may see any dentist able to directly bill Sun Life after July 8. Prior to that, clients will have to see a dentist who agreed to participate in the program.
Understanding Dental Care Expenses in Canada
In Canada, new immigrants are especially impacted by dental care expenses. This is because they are more likely to perform low-paying part-time jobs or gig work that does not provide dental insurance.
According to the Statistics Canada report, the part-time employment levels decreased by 126,000 for workers who were born in Canada, however, it claimed by 113,000 for immigrant workers and 49,000 for temporary foreign workers (TFWs). This means that the shift away from part-time lower-skilled employment among Canadian-born workers has been more than neutralized by the combined actions of immigrant workers and TFWs.
Earlier, the provincial and federal healthcare plans did not cover healthcare expenses.
This implies that the patient has to pay for everything from routine cleaning and checkups to more advanced treatments & procedures such as a root canal or cap. They must either pay in full out of pocket or in part through their private insurance.
Notably, a visit to the dentist is normally priced according to the fee guidelines provided by the Provincial Association of Dentists. However, these costs are simply recommendations. Individual dentists may charge whatever they think appropriate.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland’s speech of last May stated that the CDCP is expected to help nine million uninsured Canadians get dental coverage.
If you have questions about Canadian Immigration, please contact our MakeHomeCanada experts at 1-800-979-0509 or email us at [email protected].
