Close X
Thursday, November 28, 2024
ADVT 
National

Dental-care program hits 1 million patients in first six months, coverage expands

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 31 Oct, 2024 09:43 AM
  • Dental-care program hits 1 million patients in first six months, coverage expands

A million Canadians have received care under the federal dental-care plan six months after the program began, Health Minister Mark Holland said Thursday. 

Starting on Friday, the program will also cover more complex procedures. 

That means people who have coverage under the federal program can request pre-authorization for things like crowns and the initial placement of partial dentures, as well as what the program deems high-need or complex conditions. 

Paper claims will also be accepted, something Holland said will mean that more dentists and oral care providers are eligible to work under the program. 

Once these expansions are up and running, Holland said the government is on track to begin expanding who can get coverage under the program next year. 

"We haven't set on the exact date, that's obviously still being figured out. We are obviously tracking very closely how pre-authorization and paper claims go. But early in 2025 is when we're looking to expand to additional cohorts," Holland said. 

The program is currently available for seniors, adults on the federal disability tax credit and children under 18. Currently, 2.7 million Canadians are registered to receive care under the program. 

Holland said the goal is to expand the eligibility as quickly as possible. 

"We are absolutely committed in 2025, as fast as possible, to expand this to all Canadians."

Eighty-nine per cent of oral health providers in the country are providing some form of care under the program, according to Holland. 

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. mayors seek 'immediate action' from governments on mental health crisis

B.C. mayors seek 'immediate action' from governments on mental health crisis
At a news conference Monday, Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim and several other politicians from around B.C. announced the request to senior levels of government, touting a letter sent to Premier David Eby and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling for action on "three critical fronts." 

B.C. mayors seek 'immediate action' from governments on mental health crisis

Liberals announce expansion to mortgage eligibility, draft rights for renters, buyers

Liberals announce expansion to mortgage eligibility, draft rights for renters, buyers
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has announced changes to mortgage rules she says are aimed at helping more Canadians to purchase their first home. The government will also expand its 30-year mortgage amortization to include first-time homebuyers buying any type of home, as well as anybody buying a newly built home.

Liberals announce expansion to mortgage eligibility, draft rights for renters, buyers

B.C. municipal leaders gather to talk infrastructure, addiction, emergency management

B.C. municipal leaders gather to talk infrastructure, addiction, emergency management
Municipal leaders are going to spend the week discussing more than 200 pages worth of resolutions at the conference. Mandewo says issues surrounding addiction and toxic drugs are front and centre in members' minds. Resolutions include calls for more overdose prevention sites, more complex care beds for people struggling with addiction, and more money directed at community safety.

B.C. municipal leaders gather to talk infrastructure, addiction, emergency management

Man slashed across the face: VPD

Man slashed across the face: VPD
Vancouver police say a man needed to be hospitalized after being slashed across the face.  Police say it happened late Saturday night in the Granville Entertainment District.

Man slashed across the face: VPD

Fatal vehicle fire in Coquitlam

Fatal vehicle fire in Coquitlam
Mounties in Coquitlam say they’re investigating a fatal vehicle fire in the parking lot of the City Centre Aquatic Complex. Police were called yesterday to the report of the fire and say they found a body inside the vehicle. 

Fatal vehicle fire in Coquitlam

Two dead after truck carrying seven teens crashes in eastern Alberta

Two dead after truck carrying seven teens crashes in eastern Alberta
A 19-year-old and a 17-year-old are dead after police say a truck carrying seven teens crashed in eastern Alberta. RCMP say officers responded to the single-vehicle crash early Sunday on a township road near Consort, approximately 260 km northeast of Calgary.

Two dead after truck carrying seven teens crashes in eastern Alberta