Can you apply for Canada’s dental plan? Eligibility rules get update
Health Canada is shedding new light on eligibility for Canadians hoping to sign up for the federal dental plan.
The agency posted updated information online on Monday about who can and can’t access the benefits.
Eligible seniors will be able to access oral health-care treatment through the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) as early as May, with applications having been open since December for those 87 and above, and to additional age groups in the months since. As of this month, those 70 and older are eligible to apply, with those 65 to 69 able to sign up come May.
While Health Minister Mark Holland unveiled roll-out details on the plan in December, including who qualified, some Canadians were still left questioning if they could sign up.
To be eligible under the plan, Canadians must not already have access to dental insurance, have an annual adjusted family net income of under $90,000, be a Canadian resident for tax purposes, and have a filed tax return from the previous year. The adjusted net income, the government says, refers to a family’s net income plus any universal child care benefit (UCCB) and registered disability savings plan (RDSP) amounts repaid, minus any UCCB and RDSP income received.
A news release that outlined details said those with dental benefits through provincial, territorial, and federal social programs and who meet these criteria will still be able to apply for the program.
Insurance through other methods, however, could make Canadians ineligible but it depends on the circumstances.
Those who have health insurance through their current employer or from a family member’s plan will not be able to access the CDCP, according to the criteria posted on Health Canada’s website that was updated Monday.
Th
Read more on globalnews.ca
