The Government of Canada announces progress on the Canadian Dental Care Plan

GATINEAU, QC, Sept. 6, 2023 /CNW/ - Every Canadian deserves quality dental care, yet one-third of Canadians are unable to visit an oral health professional because they do not have dental insurance.

As such, the Government of Canada has been working extensively to improve access to dental care services for Canadians, and has reached a key step in the procurement process to administer the Canadian Dental Care Plan.

Today, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, and the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, announced that an Early Work Agreement worth up to $15 million has been awarded to Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (Sun Life). This interim measure will enable Sun Life to undertake necessary pre-contractual work to ensure the timely launch and successful operation of the Canadian Dental Care Plan while details of the main contract are finalized. This includes work such as recruitment, information technology-related activities and business planning. The main contract is expected to be awarded in fall 2023, pending Government of Canada approval. 

Once fully implemented, the Canadian Dental Care Plan will support up to 9 million uninsured Canadians who have an annual family net income of less than $90,000 in getting the oral health care they need, with no co-pays for those with family incomes under $70,000. Further information on the plan, which is expected to begin rolling out by the end of 2023, will be communicated by Health Canada in the coming weeks.

Quotes

"Every Canadian deserves good oral health care, which is an essential part of overall health. Thanks to a competitive and efficient procurement process, we are one step closer to providing quality dental care services that meet the needs of Canadians."

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
Minister of Public Services and Procurement

"No one should have to choose between taking care of their teeth and paying their bills at the end of the month. Canadians deserve access to quality dental care, which we know is important not only for oral health, but for overall health. We are pleased that, with this agreement, the preparatory work can start to begin rolling out the Canadian Dental Care Plan by the end of the year."

The Honourable Mark Holland
Minister of Health

Quick facts

• The first stage of the procurement process for the Canadian Dental Care Plan took place between July 25 and August 22, 2022, when Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) issued a Request for Information that sought input from industry on potential requirements and models for the new program.
  
  
• As the second stage of the process, PSPC issued an Invitation to Qualify (ITQ) that was open from October 28 to December 5, 2022. This ITQ invited suppliers with expertise in the field of dental and health claims processing to express their interest in becoming a qualified supplier. In January 2023, the Government of Canada selected 3 qualified suppliers to participate in the following stages.
  
  
• Between January and May 2023, PSPC and Health Canada worked with the qualified suppliers to gather feedback and recommendations to inform the program requirements and the resulting Request for Proposal (RFP).
  
  
• An RFP was issued to the qualified suppliers on June 21, 2023. Suppliers had until July 20, 2023, to submit their proposals.
  
  
• Budget 2023 proposed to provide $13 billion over 5 years, starting in fiscal year 2023 to 2024, and $4.4 billion ongoing to Health Canada to implement the Canadian Dental Care Plan.

Associated links

• Message from the Minister of Health and the Minister of Public Services and Procurement
  
  
• Statement from the Minister of Health and the Minister of Public Services and Procurement on the progress of the Canada-wide dental care program
  
  
• Canada Dental Benefit
  
  
• Government of Canada takes next step in procurement process for long-term Canadian Dental Care Plan

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SOURCE Public Services and Procurement Canada

Olivier Pilon, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, 613-323-6621, [email protected]; Media Relations, Public Services and Procurement Canada, 819-420-5501, [email protected]