Senator blasts health department for 'hiding' $3.4B in dental costs
· Toronto Sun
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OTTAWA — The Canada Dental Care Plan (CDCP) will cost taxpayers a lot more than expected, with a senior public servant telling a senate committee that patient fees will exceed $18 billion over five years.
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That’s more than original cabinet estimates of around $13 billion over the same time period, as well as projections of $10.1 billion put forth in a 2023 report from the Parliamentary Budget Office.
Appearing Wednesday before the Senate National Finance Committee, health department CFO Ryan Higgs said figures contained in last year’s supplementary estimates — spending needs not outlined in the government’s main estimates — did not include $149 million for patient costs.
“It’s funding for the delivery of the Canadian dental care plan, so it includes things like application verification and eligibility determination services that are largely provided by ESDC (Employment and Social Development Canada,” he said.
As for projected funding profiles for the plan, Higgs said it’s something his department is monitoring.
“It’s a new program, we continue to monitor and update forecasting, including working with the office of the chief actuary to determine what the demand of those benefits will be,” Higgs said.
Currently-approved appropriations for the program, Higgs said, varies year-over-year.
“The funding profile for the benefits portion of the Canadian dental plan is $3.4 billion in this fiscal year,” Higgs said. “The funding profile does vary slightly year-over-year, but it remains within $3.4 and $3.9 billion for the next five fiscal years.”
‘Hidden figures’ draws criticism from senator
That number came as a surprise to Senator Clément Gignac, who asked Higgs for clarification — and specifically where in the government’s main estimates he could find that number.
“I just can’t find it in the main estimates,” Gignac said.
“That represents close to 30 or 35% of the annual budget, and I cannot find the line … so maybe something’s missing, or maybe I just checked too fast.”
Higgs said a line-by-line breakdown isn’t available as it’s considered an operating expenditure.
“You can see on the first page of the main estimates that last year the mains were $4.26 billion for Health Canada, and this year they are $4.471 billion … it’s included in the $4.471-billion.”
Gignac chastised the hidden figure, saying it’s up to Parliamentarians to analyze and approve spending, stressing the importance of transparency.
The CDCP is a federally-funded dental insurance program meant to provide low and middle income Canadians without insurance plans access to oral healthcare — and the main driving factor behind the NDP’s “supply and confidence” agreement that propped up the minority Justin Trudeau government.
The program was soft-launched in Dec. 2023 for seniors over the age of 87, and later expanded to children and adults collecting disability tax credits in June 2024, opening up completely in May 2025.
Coverage is geared to income.
“For fiscal year 2026-27, over $3.4 billion is allocated to expanded recipient eligibility and to provide ongoing benefits to help our health system prevent dental disease, reduce emergency visits and improve overall health outcomes,” Higgs told the committee in French.
Investments in the Canadian dental care plan, Higgs said, are ensuring millions of Canadians get access to oral health care.