Alberta dentists have been ordered to go back to the bargaining table as the government seeks to reduce dental fees.
A review by the province last year found Albertans pay 44 per cent more for common dental procedures on average than the rest of Canada.
After seeing the numbers, Health Minister Sarah Hoffman demanded a fee guide be established, and Alberta’s dentists agreed. The new fee guide was released last week by the Alberta Dental Association and College, which proposed to reduce fees by three per cent. But the minister wasn’t impressed.
“They agreed to go back to the table and get better value for Albertans,” Hoffman said.
“I think I was pretty clear last week that I didn’t believe the fee guide went nearly far enough and they got the message.”
READ MORE: Albertans could see dental costs drop thanks to new fee guide
Discussions will resume next week between the government and the association on how much the fees should be reduced in the guide.
“We want this yesterday obviously, but we want the right fee guide, so we’re back at the table. They know that they’re under some time pressures and they know that there are other tools available to me if they don’t meet my expectations,” Hoffman said.
“I’m comfortable that they got the message and that they’re going to meet my expectations.”
READ MORE: How should Alberta deal with rising dental fees?
The guide was created based on things like the cost of providing and delivering services, the complexity of a procedure and the time required to perform a procedure.
Alberta Dental Association and College president-elect Dr. Mintoo Basahti said Albertans would save significantly if dentists follow the guide.
However, it’s not mandatory for dentists to follow the guide; rather, it’s suggested.
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