Alberta dentists worry new federal plan will add more work, confusion and costs 

The head of the Alberta Dental Association says dentists have a lot of questions about how the Canadian Dental Care Plan will roll out and how it will affect their workloads and bottom lines — given the existing provincial network of underfunded health benefit programs already available to qualifying Albertans.

The new plan is a $13-billion insurance program that will start covering most basic dentistry costs next year for uninsured Canadians with a household income under $90,000.

Dr. Bruce Yaholnitsky says the profession believes Albertans who struggle financially need this type of assistance to improve both their dental and their overall health. 

But he says that with limited details in Monday's announcement, many dentists have been left with more questions than answers — such as whether the plan will replace the handful of existing provincial programs or be one more option.

"It's a bit of a quagmire, let me tell you. It makes my head spin trying to think of co-ordinating all these programs," said Yaholnitsky.

Yaholnitsky says the industry also worries about added administrative work co-ordinating a new system, and what the remuneration will be considering the amount the Alberta government reimburses dentists has been considerably lower than the fee guide for years.

"It's sort of almost philanthropic because we want to help people … but it's not sustainable over the long run," said Yaholnitsky.

Each province has its own fee guide for dental services set by the industry. 

Because it's only a guide, dentists can adjust their rates higher or lower depending on their overhead costs.

Yaholnitsky says the association is trying to renegotiate a higher rate of reimbursement with the government for its dental health programs.

He says dentists currently receive an amount equal to about 48 per cent of the fee guide, yet most offices spend well over that on expenses. 

So he says many dentists hope the new fees will align more closely with their fee guide.

"You can't work at a loss, that's not how businesses will run," the Calgary dentist said.

In an email, a spokesperson for Health Canada says it is still working through the operational components of the plan to help finalize the fees and services covered.