NDP promises dental care for uninsured Ontarians
Program would fully cover families earning less than $90,000
The NDP is promising dental care for low- and middle-income Ontarians, saying that could potentially save families more than $1,000 a year — and even more if their children need braces.
“We all want what’s best for our families — including regular checkups at the dentist, but the cost of living is making that harder,” NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said in a written statement before making the announcement in Scarborough on Thursday morning, the second day of the election campaign leading up to the June 2 vote.
“People are racking up credit card bills to get the dental care they need.
“Parents sometimes make the heartbreaking decision to put off getting their kid’s cavity filled because it’s not in the budget. Dental care is health care — so why is it costing people so much? With the NDP, you’ll be covered.”
Uninsured families earning less than $90,000 a year would be fully covered, and would be the among the first to get the benefit as it is phased in over two years.
A family earning between $90,000 and $200,000 would be required to co-pay to a maximum of 50 per cent of any dental bills.
Horwath said basic checkups for a family of four could be covered by as much as $1,240 every year, and if two children need braces those savings would be $13,000.
The total cost of the move is estimated at $680 million in 202223. The proposal would cover dental costs until the federal government implements a plan it has promised in a deal with the federal NDP.
Half of Ontarians are estimated to have few or no dental benefits.
In 2019, the Ford government introduced dental coverage for lowincome seniors at a cost of $90 million a year.
Asked about the NDP announcement on Thursday morning, PC Leader Doug Ford told reporters at a campaign event in Pickering that “as for the dental costs, we have that program in place already and it’s working well.
“We’re going to add on to our dental program making sure we put over $90 million in — but it’s about making sure that we put money back into people’s pockets, instead of the government’s pockets,” Ford added.
“It’s very simple.”