An association of health insurance providers warns it might not be worth it for small businesses to provide dental benefits to some employees once the government launches a national dental plan, and is pitching a tax credit to convince them not to drop their coverage. The Liberals announced in their latest federal budget that they…

The federal government budgeted dental care grants for children at more than four times the cost of a typical dentist visit, according to the Canadian Dental Association (CDA). “Overall, 95.6 percent of all claims submitted for children under age 12 were for less than $650,” said the association in a submission to the Senate national…

Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his party is using its agreement with the Liberals as leverage to push for its priorities in the upcoming federal budget, set to be released on March 28. Singh said he expects the upcoming budget will have money to expand dental care coverage to teens, seniors, and people living…

The Canadian government’s approach to universal dental care should include preserving private dental insurance programs and using existing clinics should be part of the Canadian government’s approach to universal dental care, the Canadian Dental Association says. On Tuesday the association released a policy paper following consultations with federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, provincial and territorial…

By Emma Patch From Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Looking for dental care they can afford, many Americans travel abroad. In fact, dental care is the number one driver for American medical tourism, accounting for more than two-thirds of medical travel, says Josef Woodman, CEO of Patients Beyond Borders, a medical tourism consulting agency. So where do…

The federal government has invoked confidentiality which forbids the release of the overhead cost of its “Canada Dental Benefit” program, says a report by the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO). “The Government has shared its own estimates of administration costs with us,” said the PBO report, submitted to the Commons government operations committee (OGGO), in response…

Social Development Minister Karina Gould says 35,000 people have applied for the new child dental benefit since the program opened a week ago. Gould was responding to an opposition question in the House of Commons about Canadians who are struggling with the rising cost of living. The new benefit is aimed at children under the age of…

Commentary Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rolled out the Canada Dental Benefit, or national dental care plan, during his visit to Western University’s dental school on Dec. 1. “This is all part of our plan to make life more affordable for Canadians,” the PM said triumphantly. He firmly believes this program will curry favour with the general public….

Parents can apply with the Canada Revenue Agency starting today to receive the children’s dental benefit that the federal Liberals say is intended to provide cost-of-living relief to low-income Canadians but that critics say is a drop in the bucket. The benefit, to be used toward dental services, is available for children under 12 in…

Senators have passed a bill that will allow low- and middle-income families to access government money to help care for their kids’ dental care, starting as early as Dec. 1. The dental benefit was a compromise between the Liberals and NDP, as part of the supply-and-confidence agreement that will see the New Democrats support the…