Provinces are reviewing their own dental care programs as Ottawa announces federal plan

When he announced the federal government's $13-billion dental care insurance plan, Health Minister Mark Holland said the new program is meant to "fill the gaps" — not to replace existing provincial programs.

He said the premiers shouldn't "shove" dental costs onto Ottawa's lap now that the federal government has a program to help the estimated nine million Canadians who don't have dental insurance.

But some provinces tell CBC News they are reviewing their own dental plans now that another level of government is willing to pick up the tab for eligible low- and middle-income Canadians.

A move to wind down provincial programs could push up the price tag of the federal program substantially. Ottawa's dental program is expected to cost the treasury about $4.4 billion a year after the initial $13 billion tranche is spent.

There are still many details to sort out before the program's launch — including how many oral health professionals will accept the federal insurance plan (Holland has said he's optimistic) and how the tangle of dental plans will apply (if it all) when a patient's bill comes due.

A spokesperson for Mark McLane, P.E.I.'s health minister, said there will be a change to how dental bills are covered in that province once Ottawa's program is up and running.

"The federal Canadian Dental Care Plan will be the payor of first resort, while the provincial plan will be the payor of last resort," said Samantha Hughes.

That means the federal plan will pick up the costs for eligible patients who go to a dentist, hygienist or denturist, while the P.E.I. program could be invoked to cover some other costs.

It's not clear that P.E.I. will have to pay much. The province's program is not nearly as generous as the one Ottawa is set to roll out next year.

To qualify for the new federal dental plan, applicants must have an annual adjusted family net income under $90,000 and no access to private insurance.

For families with household incomes under $70,000, there's no co-payment — Ottawa pays for the covered services in full.

There's a 40 per cent co-pay for people with household incomes between $70,000 and $79,999. The co-pay jumps to 60 per cent for families with incomes between $80,000 and $89,999.

P.E.I.'s program has different income cutoffs based on family size. The highest net income that would still allow Islanders to qualify for dental coverage is $68,914 for a family of five or more. And that only allows the family to claim 20 per cent of their dental-related costs.

"The intention is to ensure the federal and provincial plans are coordinated, so that there is a seamless provision of benefits to clients, and so that clients who are currently eligible for benefits under the provincial plan will not see a decline in the benefits they receive. That work is ongoing," Hughes said.