Update on CDCP Participation

There has been a lot of media attention surrounding the Canadian Dental Care Plan, both in its rollout, as well as the dentists and dental associations’ reluctance to endorse the program over the past few months. Previously, we have informed our patients that we are waiting for further guidance from the Ontario Dental Association before making a decision on participation. The ODA has been negotiating with the government to improve participation terms, as the original version of the plan downloaded the bulk of the administrative burden on dental offices, and placed unreasonable audit privileges in the hands of the insurance company contracted to adjudicate the dental claims. There has been much positive progress since the May implementation date, and I believe the ODA and its other provincial counterparts should be credited for all the hard work they have undertaken. This would not have been possible if there was enrollment en masse by the dentists, as our bargaining position would have been severely undermined. As it presently stands, dentists are able to accept the CDCP plans without registering as a provider, just like other government plans, and this is the approach we are currently taking at Leslieville Dentistry. We are testing the waters by first accepting patients of record who are now eligible for the CDCP plan. We don’t want our patients to feel abandoned if they feel they have to seek out another office in order to utilize this new important benefit. Also, we understand that the cohort that is now eligible, namely seniors over 65 without private insurance coverage, likely are on fixed income and would welcome this government plan to subsidize their dental care, even if not fully. As other select groups become eligible, we will reevaluate our participation in this program in terms of ease of use and sustainability. We thank our patients for their understanding.