Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) for Seniors - who, what, when, where, and how?

The Canadian Dental Care Plan rolled out today, providing 1.7-million seniors in Canada with dental insurance. What is it, who is eligible, and how do I join?

What is the Canadian Dental Care Plan?

The Canadian Dental Care Plan, or CDCP, is a federal initiative to extend dental insurance to Canadians who don't have private insurance. It covers most dental care such as cleanings, x-rays, fillings, root canals, and dentures. Complex dental services, like crowns and partial dentures, require federal pre-authorization, which will be available in November.

CDCP is free for eligible Canadians, but like private dental insurance, it doesn't necessarily mean a visit to the dentist is free. Depending on your income there may be a co-pay. Also, the dentist may charge rates higher than the CDCP fee, which will come out of your pocket.

Who is eligible for the Candian Dental Care Plan?

To be eligible you need to meet all the following criteria:

• Don't have access to dental insurance
• Have an adjusted family net income of less than $90,000
• A Canadian resident for tax purposes
• Filed taxes for 2023

As of today, only seniors 65+ are eligible for CDCP. In June this will extend to people with disabilities and kids under 18, and in 2025 all Canadians will be able to sign up.

Coverage

Coverage is based on something called adjusted family net income. Adjusted family net income is:

Your family net income

minus Any universal child care benefit and registered disability savings plan

plus Any universal child care benefit and registered disability savings plan amounts repaid

From Canada.com:

If your adjusted family next income is:

• less than $70,000 you get 100% of eligible coverage
• $70,000 or more but less than $80,000 you get 60% of eligible coverage
• $80,000 or more but less than $90,000 you get 40% of eligible coverage.

Just because you qualify for 100% of CDCP coverage doesn't necessarily mean a visit to the dentist is free. Oral health care providers may charge more than the CDCP fee. In that case you will be responsible to pay the difference out of pocket.

How do I join the Canadian Dental Care Plan?

To get started you need to apply. Once accepted, you can make an appointment with a dentist, independent hygienist, or denturist. You'll need to check the Provider Search to find an oral health care provider that accepts CDCP. Only about 16% of oral health care providers currently accept CDCP, so there's a chance you will need to find a new dentist. And as a reminder, make sure you ask your oral health provider about any costs that won’t be covered by the plan.