2024-03-25 08:00:00
While Quebec wants to withdraw from the new Canadian dental insurance plan created by Ottawa, it must be admitted that this plan is popular with Quebecers. It is in this province that the program is the most popular in the country.
Nearly 1.4 million Canadians have registered for dental insurance to date. A third of these registrations are in Quebec. But a few weeks before the first appointments, there is still a lot of confusion about this program, both among health professionals and beneficiaries.
The NDP on tour
To ensure awareness of this program, New Democratic MP Alexandre Boulerice undertook a tour of residences for the elderly (RPA) in his riding, an opportunity to provide information and remind voters that the program is part of the agreement that the New Democratic Party (NDP) concluded with the Liberals so that they could remain in power.
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New Democratic MP Alexandre Boulerice visited a dozen seniors’ residences to explain the new program.
Photo : Radio-Canada
In the cafeteria of an RPA on Papineau Street, in Montreal, the MP distributes leaflets before speaking to residents. “If you register, you will be able to go to the dentist and you will not have to pay money and, afterwards, get reimbursed,” explains the deputy leader of the NDP. “The invoice will be sent directly to Ottawa. It could be a prosthesis, implants or dentures. All that is covered,” he explains to a crowd captivated by this subject.
Among the particularly attentive residents is Jules Plourde. I have a prosthesis on top, but the one on the bottom is now too big, so I haven’t worn it for at least four or five years, he says, apologizing for the speech problem. that this causes him.
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Jules Bordeleau, 82 years old
Photo : Radio-Canada
The 82-year-old was one of the first age groups to sign up, and now he’s anxiously waiting to make an appointment. His deputy tells him that he will have to wait until May.
“Making prosthetics costs at least $3,000 minimum, and we don’t have all that money,” he says. “Our nest egg is starting to thin quite a bit,” continues Mr. Bordeleau. But he will probably have to dip into his savings.
The fees reimbursed by the government are often much lower than denturists’ pricing scale, and Ottawa allows them to bill patients the difference.
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Denturists on the front line
Since the elderly are the first people eligible for this plan, the enthusiasm for this program complicates the task of denturists. In fact, elderly people represent nearly 80% of their clientele.
In Quebec, we are the most toothless province in Canada. There is a real need for prostheses.
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Raymond Lagacé, president of the Order of Denturists of Quebec
Photo : Radio-Canada
The president of the Order of Denturists does not question the necessity of the program and he invites its members to join it, but Raymond Lagacé does not hesitate to say that denturists are the guinea pigs of this regime and that they are making it currently the costs.
People are all postponing their appointments, obviously, they are waiting for it to be free, notes Linda Gaudreault. This denturist from Saguenay estimates that her clientele has dropped by 75% since the government announced its program in December. Conversely, it expects to be overwhelmed by demand when the costs are reimbursed. “The main problem is that it was announced too quickly. It was not ready to be implemented,” she adds.
People must expect to have to pay part of their money.
She also criticizes the government for not having given the truth about pricing. She gives the example of an upper prosthesis for which the program will reimburse her $1,226. I dug through my files to see what date these fees were charged. It’s over 10 years ago. Patients will have 30 to 40% [du montant] to pay.
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Denturist Linda Gaudreault deplores the confusion surrounding the creation of the new plan.
Photo : Radio-Canada
The federal Minister of Public Services and Supply, Jean-Yves Duclos, admits for his part that there are discrepancies in the price scales, but that does not worry him. There are legitimate questions that many people are asking. This is normal, since it is the first time in the country’s history that such a program has been implemented, he said.
The rates reimbursed by the Canadian government are in most cases very close to the rate scales of the associations, but there are several cases [où] it’s inferior.
He also recognizes that many threads remain to be tied. In total, nine million Canadians will be eligible, half in 2024 and the other half in 2025. So we will probably talk about it for a while, he concludes.
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