Interim Canada Dental Benefit Plan
Wondering what the newly launched interim Canada Dental Benefit plan means for you? Here at Orchards Dental, we would like you to fully understand how it will work for you and what you need to know to get started. Below is a direct link and phone number to the Canadian Federal Government page that will get you started.
Canada Dental Benefit or call 1-800-715-8836
Why was this plan put into place?
The current Liberal Federal Government has recognized that the need for childhood dental care is great but they have also come to realise that the majority of families cannot afford to obtain these services. The staff at Orchards Dental could not agree more. The long term benefits of caring for children’s dental concerns have been overlooked for many years. This Dental Benefit plan was ushered in by a partnership agreement between the leading Liberal party and the current opposition; the New Democratic Party. This interim plan will remain until 2024 with a goal for a larger, more stable plan to come next. As it is intended to lower the costs of dental care for families with incomes under $90,000; “this plan could potentially affect approximately 500,000 Canadian children.” The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Canada’s Minister of Health
The Canada Dental Benefit Plan is built on the Canada’s Child Benefit program and takes information collected via Revenue Canada’s accounts and your income tax return from 2021.
There are two service periods for the dental plan:
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October 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023 and
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July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024
Because it is only meant for children under the age of 12, the qualifications for each period are different in terms of the child’s age and dates of birth.
What does this mean for me?
The Federal Government has set up a very interactive and comprehensive web page that helps you to understand who can apply and whether or not you are eligible. Please follow the below link to their page that assesses if you qualify for the benefit.
Do I qualify for the Canada Dental Benefit plan?
A very quick synopsis of what they are requiring:
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Your children will be covered under this new plan if your child was born on or after December 2, 2010 (under 12 years old as of December 1, 2022) for the first period. The second period has the following dates; Your child was born on or after July 2, 2011 (under 12 years old as of July 1, 2023).
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You must be registered for the Canada Child Benefit program and the child you are registering for dental coverage, must be registered under you. If you have shared custody and other unique family dynamics, further details are provided at the “Do I qualify” link provided above.
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You need to have filed your 2021 income tax return.
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Your income or household adjusted net income must not be over $90,000.
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You must also have a Canada Revenue Agency account set up. You can get started on this at the following link: My Account Registration or call 1-800-387-1193
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You must have a dental appointment scheduled within the dates of one of the periods listed above. If your appointment was in the past, payment will still be sent to you once you have applied, qualified and sent them the required information about the appointment.
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You must not have employer dental benefit coverage.
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You must not have private dental benefit coverage.
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Your child's dental costs are not fully covered by another dental program provided by any level of government such as ADSC or NIHB.
Does this cover all dental expenses?
You can receive treatment and services from the following:
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a dentist
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a denturist
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a dental hygienist
What are the amounts we will receive?
How many payments are we eligible for?
If you have more than one eligible child, you can apply for all of them at the same time or separately. For this benefit, you may apply for a maximum of 2 payments for each eligible child.
During the first benefit period:
From December 1, 2022 until June 30, 2023, you may apply for:
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one payment for an eligible child who receives dental care between October 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023
During the second benefit period
Applications open on July 1, 2023 for:
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one payment for an eligible child who receives dental care between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024
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one additional payment for dental care over $650 in either benefit period if you meet the criteria
If you receive a payment for a child in the first benefit period, that child will only be eligible for one more payment.
For more detailed information, please see their website at the below link:
How much and how many payments?
It should be noted that this program is a reimbursement program. Dental offices will not be able to direct bill this plan for their clients. Clients will need to pay out of pocket and then submit the required information as per the instructions on the Revenue Canada site.
I think we qualify, now what do I do?
The Federal Government has set up a page that walks you through setting up your application. The application process will be done through your Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) “My Account.” This is separate from the “My Service Account” which is a general account that allows you to access services directed more towards employment services and information. However, you can use the “My Service Account” to set up your “CRA My Account” if you do not yet have one. If you have to do this additional step, it will definitely increase the time it takes to complete the application process and receive your payment.
Set up your Direct Deposit information. Your payments will be received quickly if you have set up your direct deposit with the government. Otherwise, you will receive payments through the mail.
Below is the link that will take you to the page containing all the above information:
The Federal Government seems to have made the application a fairly easy process to complete. There will be steps that some families have not completed which will make it become somewhat more difficult and lengthy. Unfortunately, Orchards Dental staff will not be able to assist you with the application process. However, we will be happy to work with you to facilitate appointments and match your child up with the services that are covered and required, in order to ensure their bright smile is the best it can be!
