OTTAWA — The government is working hard to meet its end\u002Dof\u002Dyear deadline to deliver dental\u002Dcare coverage to kids, the deputy prime minister said Tuesday, but…
The Liberals agreed to offer dental coverage to low- and middle-income children by the end of the year as part of their confidence and supply deal with the New Democrats to keep the minority government from toppling before 2025.
“As we experienced, for example, in rolling out child-care agreements across the country, delivering new services to Canadians is complicated,” Freeland said when asked about the stopgap plan at a news conference in Toronto.This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Freeland did not confirm or deny the government’s immediate plans but said the Liberals are committed to the dental-care program, and it’s a commitment she’s “happy to make.
Federal officials have also canvassed dental-health experts about other approaches. The government could contract out a national program to a private insurance firm or have federal public servants take on the work. The Liberals set aside $5.3 billion over five years to fully implement the program. They hope to start with children under the age of 12 with an annual household income of less than $90,000.