The proposed Canada Dental Benefit will provide eligible parents or guardians with direct, up-front tax-free payments to cover dental expenses for their children under 12 years-old.
This is the first stage of the government’s plan to deliver dental coverage for families with income under $90,000, and will allow eligible children under 12 to get the dental care they need while a comprehensive national dental care program is developed.
“The roll-out of this dental care program over the next few years will be a generational change to our healthcare system and will help millions of Canadians get care for their teeth for free,” said Alistair MacGregor, MP for Cowichan-Malahat-Langford. “New Democrats have fought and won important victories that have benefited Canadians – like Medicare. We are carrying on this fight so families can finally get dental care for their kids and get help with their struggling budgets.
“High inflation has forced families to make the heart-breaking choice between paying for dental care for their kids or paying their bills,” he added. “The rising costs of housing, groceries, and gas for families – while big companies and the super-rich make billions off them in profits – is stretching family budgets even more. Families are playing by the rules, doing everything right, but they still can’t get ahead.”
The target implementation date for the Canada Dental Benefit is December 1, 2022, pending Parliamentary approval and Royal Assent of enabling legislation, and the program would cover expenses retroactive to Oct. 1, 2022.