A study from the Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP) claims the “payer-of-last-resort model” set up by the government for the new national dental care plan is not the most effective or efficient way to provide coverage.
Concerns have risen surrounding the mix of public payers and those with private insurance. North Shore News reports that the current set up could lead dentists to avoid public-pay patients and employers may be deterred from providing private insurance. There is also no current plan to ensure people in remote or marginalized communities receive treatment with the benefit.
The IRPP identifies four goals that should guide the suggested reform: universality, fairness, accessibility and accountability. They list a number of options on how to achieve this including “an arm’s-length, national agency, funded by the federal government and empowered by the provinces and territories.”
