Disability advocates warn eligibility for federal dental-care plan may be cumbersome

By The Canadian Press on October 6, 2023.

OTTAWA – The federal government’s new dental insurance plan has yet to be introduced, but advocates are warning the eligibility criteria for people with disabilities could be cumbersome and may not capture everyone who should have access to the program

The details of the insurance plan are expected to be announced this fall, with a goal to eventually provide dental benefits to qualifying kids under the age of 18, seniors and people with disabilities.

The Liberals promised in their supply-and-confidence agreement with the NDP that dental coverage will ultimately be offered to all people with a household income under $90,000 per year by the end of 2024.

Disability Without Poverty national director Rabia Khedr says the government typically relies on the list of people who access the disability tax credit to determine who should receive other disability-related programs.

The problem is that many disabled people make such low incomes that they don’t file taxes, and the application process for the tax credit is difficult and sometimes expensive to navigate.

NDP Health Critic Don Davies says ideally anyone who falls under the income threshold and receives provincial disability support would qualify, but it would be difficult to create a system to allow that in just one year.

Since everyone who meets the income requirements would qualify for the dental plan by the end of next year, the problem has a short shelf life, Davies says.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 6, 2023.

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