NDPs, Libs unveil dental care plans

By Dave Flaherty/The Oshawa Express

Dependent on the results of this June’s provincial election, dental coverage in Ontario may go through its most significant transformation in history.

In March, Andrea Horwath and her Ontario NDP Party promised to introduce a $1.2 billion “universal pharamcare plan” that would cover dental care and prescription drug costs.

The program, called Ontario Benefits, would set a minimum standard of dental coverage that all employees in the province will have to meet.

The NDP claims employees who already provide dental coverage, approximately two-thirds in Ontario, will see no new costs.

The party anticipates the Ontario Benefits program would include services such dental exams and cleanings, fillings, x-rays, preventative and minor restorative dental work.

There may also be additional coverage for major restorative services and necessary dentures.

Employees would pay 75 per cent of the cost, and enrolled workers 25 per cent.

Workers who earn less than $30,000 a year would receive a full refund for their contributions.

Refunds for those earning $30,000 to $50,000 would be on a sliding scale.

Residents who make less than $50,000 and already have dental benefits will also receive a refund for a portion of their contributions that meet the minimum standards.

If brought to power, the NDP would also fully fund dental care for seniors without benefits and people on social assistance.

Finally, the party is promising $25 million over four years to expand dental services for ‘vulnerable and low-income’ residents through community health centres and aboriginal health access centres.

Dental care is perhaps the most significant aspect of health care not covered by OHIP.

For Oshawa MPP Jennifer French, this move has been a long time coming.

“We’ve got whole body health care, except for the mouth. You can’t explain that,” French says. “You can’t break the body down into parts.”

Since she took office in 2014, the NDPer says there have been a few things that have eaten away at her.

“I will be forever angry that while we’ve been in this legislature, we’ve seen [the Liberals] sell off Hydro One, and the need for affordable housing. Another rousing theme has been the lack of access to health care, but specifically dental and prescription drugs.”

There are approximately 4.5 million Ontarians currently without dental coverage, and French says she sees the pain and frustration they go through first hand.

“These are real people in the community, and I’ve sat across from them as they cry, they feel abandoned,” French says. “I want them to have what they deserve. It is personal.”

She spoke of a woman who suffered damage to her teeth as a side effect of cancer treatments.

“There is no help for her on that front. How do you tell me that is somehow separated from her health and wellness,” she adds.

As for the cost of the ambitious plan, French says the Ontario health care system is already paying a high price.

A January 2017 study, released by the Association of Ontario Health Centres, states 61,000 emergency visits and 222,000 visits to physicians for oral health-related problems cost the province’s health care system $38 million in 2015.

“We are already paying for people not to get the right fix and right dental care,” French says.

She adds that most patients have to return to their doctor or hospital for subsequent visits.

“You really have to give your head a shake. The stories we hear are awful because you just think, ‘that was avoidable,” French says.

During the presentation of the 2018 budget, the Wynne Liberals announced their plans to improve dental coverage with the Ontario Drug and Dental Program which would reimburse 80 per cent of eligible prescription drug and dental expenses beginning in summer 2019.

The program would come with maximum payouts of $400 for singles, $600 for couples and $700 for families with two children.