December 1, 2022 – Ottawa: The Liberal government’s new dental care benefit for children is open for applications, which will help qualifying families get help for their children’s dental costs.
The dental benefit was a compromise between the Liberals and NDP as part of the supply-and-confidence agreement that will see the New Democrats support the minority government until 2025.
Ottawa’s dental care plan for kids would cost $703M.
The Liberals are still working on a wider national dental insurance program, but Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said last month this new interim program will help ease the burden of dental bills for parents of younger children while details are worked out for a second program that will include seniors, people with disabilities and Canadians with “relatively low- or middle-income ranges.”
“The families of half a million kids under 12 will be able to access the Canada dental benefit. That means up to $1,300 over two years per child for dental care,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday in the House of Commons.
“This is all part of our plan to make life more affordable for Canadians” over new federal dental coverage, but gaps remain. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said Wednesday this measure would be “just the first step” in securing dental coverage for all Canadians. “We’re going to keep fighting to ensure all Canadians can access comprehensive dental care as part of our healthcare system.”
Who can apply?
Families with a net household income lower than $90,000 who do not have private insurance can apply for up to $650 per child under the age of 12 each year.
The program is based on the Canada Child Benefit, so families need to be a recipient of that benefit to be eligible to apply.
The application includes an eligibility checklist that requires the parent (applicant) to select the period for which their child’s dental care is needed, how many of their children are eligible for coverage and whether any other dental insurance plans cover them.
Families with private dental insurance or employer-provided dental coverage and children covered by provincial or territorial dental care plans are not eligible for this new federal benefit.
All caregivers who reside in the same household as the child who needs dental care must have filed their 2021 tax returns to access this benefit.
The application was built to include an up-front verification process that determines eligibility based on 2021 tax return information. That means applicants do not have to calculate whether they have an adjusted family net income of less than $90,000 – it will be calculated automatically as part of the interactive application process.
How to apply for the dental benefit
The application can be accessed beginning on Dec. 1 by searching “Canada dental benefit” on the federal government’s website.
The application portal includes an interactive checklist to determine eligibility and a list to help applicants get ready to apply.
Applicants will be asked whether they have access to a Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) “My Account” or a “My Service Canada Account,” either of which can be used to direct them to the application portal for the new dental benefit.
Those who do not have access to online systems can apply by telephone. The dental benefit will have a dedicated phone line with agents trained to answer questions and take applications. These agents will ask a series of questions to verify the applicant’s eligibility, which will mirror the online application.
What other information will be needed to qualify for the dental benefit?
Thanks to data from the Canada Child Benefit, the system will already have information about children in each household that are eligible for coverage under this benefit, so parents will only have to choose the number of children under 12 for whom they are applying for benefits.
They will then be asked to provide dates of the dental appointments for each child and information about the dental professional performing this procedure.
Information about caregivers’ employers will also be requested, and employers may be contacted to verify insurance coverage.
Applications to cover a future or upcoming dental procedure for a child under 12 may be made ahead of time. Parents will be asked to keep receipts for all dental procedures and appointments, which may be requested later for verification.
The anticipated wait time for payment is five business days for those signed up for a direct deposit and five-to-10 business days for those who opt to receive a check by mail.
These processes would be like the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and other pandemic payments, applicants will be required to make an attestation that all information provided is accurate.
Penalties may be levied against those who provide false or misleading information.
