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News release
September 6, 2023 - Gatineau, Quebec - Public Services and Procurement Canada
Every Canadian deserves quality dental care, yet one-third of Canadians are unable to visit an oral health professional because they do not have dental insurance. As such, the Government of Canada has been working extensively to improve access to dental care services for Canadians, and has reached a key step in the procurement process to administer the Canadian Dental Care Plan.
On September 6, 2023---Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, and Mark Holland, Minister of Health, announced that an Early Work Agreement worth up to $15 million has been awarded to Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (Sun Life). This interim measure will enable Sun Life to undertake necessary pre-contractual work to ensure the timely launch and successful operation of the Canadian Dental Care Plan while details of the main contract are finalized. This includes work such as recruitment, information technology-related activities and business planning. The main contract is expected to be awarded in fall 2023, pending Government of Canada approval.
Once fully implemented, the Canadian Dental Care Plan will support up to 9 million uninsured Canadians who have an annual family net income of less than $90,000 in getting the oral health care they need, with no co-pays for those with family incomes under $70,000. Further information on the plan, which is expected to begin rolling out by the end of 2023, will be communicated by Health Canada in the coming weeks.