Letter: Dental Care is health care, yet Alberta wants to opt out of federal plan

By Letter to the Editor on October 24, 2024.

Dear editor,

“In the spring the Federal Liberals, pushed by the NDP, came up with a Federal Dental Plan for Canadians who did not have coverage. Eligible people signed onto the plan only to find out their dentist had not signed onto the plan. Since the Federal Government made changes to the billing procedure a lot more dentists have agreed to use it.

So now they do have a Dental Plan.

Dental Care is Health Care. If it is not taken care of it is a burden on our health-care system with more strokes and heart attacks. It is short sighted of our provincial government to opt out of the Federal Dental Program.

In June, AISH Dental Benefits were moved to Alberta Blue Cross. This has reduced benefits for some AISH recipients. Some of the medications can be hard on teeth, cleanings are recommended more than the once a year that is covered. Some AISH recipients with reduced benefits have successfully applied and been accepted for the Federal Dental Plan to cover the shortfall in the provincial plan.

Alberta’s Government has said they will opt out of this plan.

My question to all MLAs and Federal MPs is, does your employment cover dental benefits? Would that be hypocrisy or irony?”

– Palliser Friends of Medicare

Diane MacNaughton

Chair, Palliser Friends

of Medicare

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