The federal government has awarded a contract worth up to $15 million to lay the groundwork for a new national dental insurance plan. Minister of Public Services and Procurement Jean-Yves Duclos arrives for the Liberal Cabinet retreat in Charlottetown, P.E.I., Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese
OTTAWA – The federal government has awarded a contract worth up to $15 million to lay the groundwork for a new national dental insurance plan.
Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos and Health Minister Mark Holland announced today the contract was awarded to Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada.
The federal government says this interim agreement will allow for the “timely launch and successful operation” of the plan, while details of the main contract are finalized.
The federal government is working to set up the new insurance plan to replace an interim benefit system that launched last year.
A national dental care program is a cornerstone of the supply-and-confidence agreement between the NDP and Liberals.
The spring budget promised $13 billion over the next five years to implement the national dental care plan, which the federal government says will insure up to nine million Canadians.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2023.
