Question Period Note: Dental Care - Government of Canada is working toward a long term dental care program

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• Budget 2022 committed $5.3 billion over five years, and $1.7B ongoing, to provide dental care for Canadians who are unable to access care because of the costs.
• The Government remains committed to providing dental care to Canadians and continues to take the necessary steps to build a national dental care program.
• Although we are working as fast as we can, it will take time to get it right.
• The Government of Canada is committed to working with key stakeholders, industry partners, academics, and dentistry associations and organizations to help inform decisions on implementing a national dental care program.
• For example, the Government of Canada issued an Invitation to Qualify (ITQ) On October 28, 2022, to engage with experts in the field of health care claims processing services. This ITQ will allow the government to create a list of qualified vendors who could deliver a long-term, national dental care program with the scope and scale needed to serve all eligible Canadians.
• At the same time, Health Canada has been reaching out to provinces and territories to better understand their current dental care programs and seek their views on how best to implement a long-term program.
• Budget 2022 committed to provide dental care starting in 2022 for families with children under 12. The interim Canada Dental Benefit is an important step in this direction.

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• The Government of Canada has committed to making access to dental care more affordable. Budget 2022 proposed funding of $5.3 billion over five years, starting in 2022-23, and $1.7 billion ongoing for a national dental care program for Canadians who earn under $90,000.
• The Canada Dental Benefit is an interim measure that will allow Canadian families to access funding as soon as possible to begin dealing with some of their eligible children’s dental care needs. While this temporary program is in place, the Government of Canada is working to build a national dental care program.
• Discussions with key stakeholders, including provinces and territories, as well as industry and clinical experts, are ongoing to help inform the Government’s decisions on implementing a national dental care program.
• On October 28, 2022, the Government of Canada issued an Invitation to Qualify (ITQ) to engage with experts in the field of health care claims processing services. This ITQ will allow the government to create a list of qualified vendors who could deliver a long-term, national dental care program with the scope and scale that would be needed to serve all eligible Canadians.
• In addition, the Minister of Health and Health Canada officials have been meeting with key stakeholders, including experts, academics, and dentistry associations and organizations over the past several months to discuss the design and delivery of a national dental care program.
• More details will be available as decisions are finalized regarding a new national dental care program.