The federal government’s national dental care plan—introduced as a condition of its supply and confidence agreement with the NDP—will cost more than $10 billion over the next five years, says Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) Yves Giroux.
The Liberal government introduced its “New Canadian Dental Care Plan” as part of the 2023 budget tabled by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland in late March.
The government allocated $13 billion for the program over the next five years, which was more than double the $6 billion that Ottawa had originally budgeted for the program.
The government’s plan, which it intends to begin by the end of 2023, will be aimed at initially providing dental coverage for uninsured Canadians under the age of 18, persons with disabilities, and seniors whose annual family income is less than $90,000….