As federal dental bill passes, seniors in N.S. and N.B. are left waiting

The Canadian Senate passed a bill Thursday that will open the door to more dental care access for low- and middle-income families starting Dec. 1.

The announcement comes on the heels of an agreement between the federal Liberals and New Democrats, part of an agreement carved early this year that featured solutions to a variety of issues, one of them being dental care.

Only families with a combined net income of $90,000 or less will be eligible. Families with private insurance will be exempt from the new funding, which carries a maximum of $650 per child under the age of 12.

The current regulation runs as follows:

•  Combined net income less than $70,000 provides $650 per child
•  Combined net income between $70,000 and $79,999 provides $390 per child
•  Combined net income between $80,000 and $89,999 provides $260 per child

The New Brunswick Coalition for Seniors and Nursing Home Residents’ Rights applauded the first of an expected series of announcements for the coming years but said the need for dental coverage for seniors is becoming critical.

“I’ve been receiving messages from people in Brunswick thinking about cancelling their Blue Cross plan because it’s actually escalating and becoming too costly for them,” said Cecile Cassista, executive director of the New Brunswick Coalition for Seniors and Nursing Home Residents’ Rights.

The Nova Scotia Dental Association estimates there will be roughly six million residents using the dental coverage when it’s all said and done. For the rights coalition, having a large stream of people is noted as a challenge for the federal government, and it hopes that any wrinkles will be ironed out after child-care announcements are handled.

“I think you have to make a compromise for the sake of the people of Canada,” said Cassista.

“There’s a lot of people in Canada that don’t have a dental plan, and you know, that is part of our health care. I think that’s important. So first and foremost we look after the younger ones, but we should also look after the elderly as well to keep them out of the health-care system and to make make sure they’re living healthy.”

The federal government promised dental care to all families making under $90,000 by 2025.