"The federal government could ensure quick, efficient, and targeted implementation of these new investments in dental care and avoid the confusion of patients and providers needing to coordinate between two levels of dental coverage," Tomkins wrote to the provincial leaders last week. Lynn Tomkins, wrote a letter to the premiers to encourage them to talk about working with the federal government to bolster existing provincial programs. Provincial and territorial leaders met in Victoria on Monday and Tuesday to discuss the ailing state of their health-care systems and call for federal leadership on the issue.Īhead of those meetings, the president of the Canadian Dental Association, Dr. Several provinces say they have not yet had any formal talks with the federal government yet, even though the deadline in the Liberal-NDP agreement is now less than six months away.įederal officials have had some very early talks with provinces and territories, Duclos's office said in a statement, and they expect more formal discussions to happen over the next few months. Several models have been offered up by experts, Duclos said, but the government's not ready to announce which direction it plans to go.ĭental care traditionally falls within the realm of the provinces and they, along with several stakeholder groups, have urged Ottawa to simply transfer the money to existing health systems to manage the program. "The actual path that will be followed in the relatively near term, given that this deadline is quickly approaching, will be shared soon."
"We're going to make every possible effort to meet that commitment and therefore to respect our promise to Canadians," he said in an interview Tuesday.
The government set aside $5.3 billion over five years for the program, and says it will start by giving coverage to children under 12 years of age with a household income under $90,000 who aren't otherwise insured by the end of 2022.ĭuclos admits the timeline is tight, but he is confident the government will make the deadline. OTTAWA - Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos is confident the federal government will be able to set up its proposed dental-care program by the end of the year, he said Tuesday, though his department has not yet settled on a model or begun formal talks with the provinces.Īs part of a confidence and supply deal with the NDP to avoid an election until 2025, the Liberals pledged to launch a federal dental-care program for low- and middle-income kids before the end of the year and aim to expand its eligibility over the next several years.
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