Health Minister Mark Holland told CBC that more Canadians with disabilities will be covered by the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) next year when the program expands to include all low- and middle-income individuals.
To understand the context, consider the following:
In 2022, about 1.5 million Canadians held a Disability Tax Credit (DTC) certificate, which is required for CDCP coverage. The CDCP began covering individuals with a valid DTC certificate in June. However, Statistics Canada estimates that 8 million people have one or more disabilities that limit their daily activities. This leaves a significant gap, as many disabled Canadians without the DTC are excluded from the CDCP, particularly those without access to a family doctor.
To obtain the DTC, individuals must have a medical practitioner complete a 16-page form, even if they already receive other government disability benefits. Michelle Hewitt, board chair of Disability Without Poverty, told CBC this requirement is a hurdle.
Additionally, the DTC excludes many who face significant barriers to qualifying, leaving disabled individuals in poverty without access to this benefit, according to the Canadian Labour Congress. The Government of Canada also reports that working-age Canadians with disabilities experience poverty at twice the rate of those without disabilities.
To address these challenges, Budget 2024 allocated $243 million over six years, starting in 2024-2025, with $41 million per year ongoing, to cover the fees charged by medical practitioners for completing the forms required to support a Disability Tax Credit application.
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