Updated wording on eligibility for the Canada Dental Care Program
The Canadian Federal Government website updated the wording around eligibility on February 1, 2024. This new statement specifically impacts Canadians with existing private dental-only insurance, such as the Retirees Dental Plan. We’ve had some members enquiring about the CDCP; this new wording applies to all members of the Retirees Dental Plan.
The updated wording now states (update in red):
To qualify for the CDCP, you must:
- not have access to dental insurance
- have an adjusted family net income of less than $90,000
- be a Canadian resident for tax purposes
- have filed your tax return in the previous year
You need to meet all the eligibility criteria to qualify for the CDCP.
“Access to dental insurance” means access to any type of dental insurance or coverage through other channels, such as:
- through your employer or a family member’s employer benefits, including health and wellness accounts
- through your pension (previous employer) or a family member’s pension benefits
- this includes federal, provincial and territorial government pension plans
- through a professional or student organization
- purchased by you or a family member or through a group plan from an insurance or benefits company
You’re still considered to have access to dental insurance if you choose to opt out of available benefits like these.
If you provide false information on your application, you and others you applied for may be removed from the plan. If you or your family members were not eligible to apply, you or your family member may have to repay the full cost of care received through the CDCP.
We want our members to know that opting out of the Retirees Dental Plan to apply for the CDCP could have serious implications, including having to repay bills covered by the CDCP. Until the government clarifies the intent of this wording, we encourage every Canadian with existing private dental insurance to wait until further information is available.