What oral health providers should know about the Canadian Dental Care Plan

(NC) As an oral health provider, you’ve most certainly heard about the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP). But how much do you know about it? Here are a few key details you should be aware of.

This federal government plan was designed to help reduce the cost of a wide range of oral health care services for Canadian residents with an annual family income under $90,000 who do not have access to dental insurance.

The plan launched in December 2023 and initially opened to seniors. By this past May, over 2 million Canadian seniors had enrolled in the plan. Since June 27, 2024, children under the age of 18 and adults with a valid Disability Tax Credit certificate can apply to the plan. Once the plan is fully rolled out, it will help reduce the cost of oral health care for up to 9 million Canadians.

The participation of dentists, denturists, dental hygienists and dental specialists in this plan is voluntary. There are more than 75 per cent of active providers in Canada participating in the CDCP.

The CDCP has been set up similarly to many of the insurance plans you’re already familiar with, making it easy to submit claims and receive rapid reimbursement. Any provider can treat CDCP clients, as long as they agree to directly bill Sun Life, who administers the plan.

The plan will pay providers based on the established CDCP fees for each service that is covered. If you decide to charge more than the established CDCP fees, your patients will need to pay you the difference. You should not ask your patients to pay the full cost of their treatment upfront, as they will not be able to get reimbursed. Sun Life will only provide payment to providers under the CDCP. Your CDCP patients should only pay any additional amounts not covered by the plan, if applicable.

Currently, claims must be submitted electronically. As of this November, paper claims will also be accepted from providers only.

Payments to providers are made within two days via electronic fund transfer, or monthly by cheque.

Oral health providers can learn more about the plan at canada.ca/dental-providers.