By Canadian Press

Dental-care legislation one of the first bills on the docket as parliament resumes

Sep 20, 2022 | 1:02 AM

OTTAWA — Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos is expected to table dental-care legislation today that will allow the government to send cheques to low- and-middle income families to help them pay for their kids’ oral health services.

The benefit for qualifying children under the age of 12 is the first phase of the government’s larger dental-care ambitions, and a key element of the Liberal party’s supply and confidence agreement with the NDP.

The government will pay families up to $650 per child per year, depending on their household income.

Families will have to apply to the Canadian Revenue Agency and attest that their child does not have private dental insurance, that they have out-of-pocket dental expenses, and that they will keep their receipts. 

The government hopes to begin sending out cheques by the beginning of December.

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In the meantime, the health department is still working on a more comprehensive dental-care program, which it hopes to implement fully by 2025. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2022.

Laura Osman, The Canadian Press