Alberta to opt out of CDCP

By Chantelle de Jonge Chestermere-Strathmore MLA

My colleague, the Honourable Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health published an op-ed in the Edmonton Journal on July 11, explaining why Alberta is opting out of the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP):

“Dental health is key to our overall health and well-being. This is why Alberta’s government is committed to making sure those that need to access dental care, receive it. To that end, governments must work together to provide a dental care program without duplication or confusion.

Since 1973, Alberta has offered the most extensive, publicly-funded dental coverage in Canada, covering approximately 500,000 Albertans. This program includes seniors, low-income families and other vulnerable individuals such as children in care, children with disabilities, AISH recipient, and some income-support clients and their dependents.

Enter the federal government with the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) – a program announced and implemented without meaningful consultation with the provinces nor dental associations. The result has been confusion ensued by duplication and overlap of coverage between the two programs.

Of the groups eligible for Alberta’s programs, there are about 100,000 vulnerable Albertans who do not qualify for the CDCP, including children in care, children with disabilities and some AISH and income-support clients.

The federal government claims over 100,000 Albertans have already signed up to receive CDCP coverage. These would be seniors already covered and included in the 500,000.

The premier and I sent coinciding letters to our federal counterparts to inform them of our desire to opt out of the federal dental care program by 2026. Over the next two years, my ministry will work with the federal government to determine areas that could be expanded in our programs to reach an agreement on how we might be able to expand our coverage.

While we would have preferred the federal government engage with us prior to the announcement of the CDCP, we are still happy to work with the federal government to have these discussions after the fact.

To those that are currently eligible for the CDCP or that become eligible during the negotiation period, you can continue to access the CDCP until Alberta takes over administration of the program. By that date, we aim to have successfully expanded our programs to provide coverage to all those that qualify for the CDCP on top of the 100,000 vulnerable Albertans that our programs cover that the CDCP does not.

In the short term, Alberta’s intent to opt out does not change your Alberta provincial dental care coverage or the CDCP; you will not lose your provincial coverage if you access the CDCP.

We are committed to and excited by the task at hand as we work to build a dental care program that meets the needs of more Albertans.”

As always, please feel free to reach out to my office with your feedback and questions (Chestermere.Strathmore@assembly.ab.ca).

(Chantelle de Jonge is the MLA for Chestermere-Strathmore and the Parliamentary Secretary for Affordability and Utilities)