Two days after Alberta told the Canadian government the province intends to “opt out” of the national dental care program, the federal health minister said Daniel Smith is “trying to create conflict” instead of focusing on patients.
Smith argues the federal government should work to expand Alberta's existing dental program, rather than creating a “duplicative plan.”
“It's a patient and health care issue and if (Alberta) thinks they can do better, that's great. But the news here is they didn't cover these people. If that's their purview, then, with all due respect, you haven't done your job,” federal Health Minister Mark Holland said Thursday morning.
“The way he's phrasing this makes it seem like he's trying to pit us against each other in some way to create some kind of political rift, rather than being about patients.”
In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday, Smith wrote that there has been a lack of consultation with the provinces in developing the Canada Dental Care Plan (CDCP) and that they should instead work in conjunction with Alberta's current dental program.
“As such, Alberta will opt out of the federal plan and maintain a provincial program for Albertans. Alberta is negotiating an agreement on the provincial share of the federal dental budget and intends to use this unconditional funding to expand dental coverage to more low-income Albertans,” Smith wrote.
Two days after Alberta told the Canadian government the province intends to “opt out” of the national dental care program, the federal health minister said Daniel Smith is “trying to create conflict” instead of focusing on patients.
Because the CDCP is funded and administered by the federal government, not the province, it's unclear what Smith means by her intention to “opt out,” or what she plans to do if the federal government continues to administer the program in Alberta after 2026.
“They could just say they want to implement a duplicate plan,” Smith told CTV News on Thursday.
“But what we would like is for dentists to cooperate with our plan and join our efforts. I think it would be a lot easier for them and a lot easier for their patients,” she said.
The federal plan is estimated to cost $13 billion over five years, but it's unclear how much of that will go to Alberta.
The national program began offering insurance to seniors in May and was expanded Thursday to include all children under 18 and adults with disabilities.
“It's not too late. We're hopeful that we'll get some federal funding in the next few years to help expand the program,” Smith said.
The Alberta Dental Association (ADA) has expressed concern about the province's decision to withdraw from the national program.
The ADA said the decision “adds confusion to an already complicated situation for both patients and dentists.”
“While our association has been in discussions with the province about existing low-income dental programs and potential Alberta-based programs, our focus remains on supporting Alberta dentists and the oral health of all Albertans.”
