As dentists, we understand the importance of informed consent. The NSDA cautions all members not to take any actions without knowing all the facts.

Health Canada and Sun Life (the CDCP’s service provider) are reaching out to dentists with more information about how oral health providers can participate in the CDCP. It is important for you to carefully read through all materials regarding this federal government program. There are some details about the CDCP that aren’t yet available and we want dentists to be fully equipped with the information they need before deciding to participate in the CDCP as providers.
It is crucial for dentists to consider several factors before deciding to participate in the program, including:  

• how the program works;   
• which services and treatments are covered;   
• reimbursement rates;   
• claims submission and administration processes;   
• protentional implications for patients, staff, and practice; and  
• how to terminate a participation agreement in the future or opt-out of the publicly available CDCP provider listing.  

To help its members make an informed decision about the CDCP, the NSDA wants to ensure Nova Scotia’s dentists understand the potential implications this program may have on practice operations and patient care. The association has hosted two CDCP-focused webinars, which have been shared to the ‘Member Resources’ page under the ‘Recorded Webinars’ link. The most recent webinar, hosted March 5, features a financial overview, courtesy of dental economists from Impact Economic Consultants.

The NSDA warns members not to take any actions or agree to any terms with any insurance company or technology provider without having all the facts.
As it currently stands, the federal government has not released all the details dentists need to make informed decisions about the CDCP. Pressure tactics from companies that encourage you or your staff to sign up for these tools or for the CDCP are not appropriate and should be met with, “Not yet, until we have more details.”
If you are a practice owner, please share this information with your office staff. You should advise them that this is not a routine administrative matter, and they should bring any communications regarding CDCP to your immediate attention. Importantly, please remind them not to sign you up for CDCP without your explicit consent.

Participation in the CDCP is voluntary.
Additionally, Health Canada has announced plans for a CDCP ‘claim-by-claim’ pathway, which is expected to launch on July 8, 2024. This would allow oral health providers to direct bill Sun Life for services provided on a claim-by-claim basis without formally signing up for the CDCP. With this amendment, CDCP clients would be able to see any oral health provider they choose for their care, as long as the provider agrees to direct bill Sun Life for services provided under the plan. CDCP clients will be responsible for paying any potential remaining amounts directly to their provider. Sun Life will never reimburse a CDCP patient and will only reimburse providers for services covered under the CDCP, Health Canada notes.

In all cases, by submitting a CDCP claim and accepting payment, providers agree to the terms of the CDCP, either on a claim-by-claim basis or through their formal participation agreement with Sun Life.

Before providing care to CDCP patients, providers will still need to:
1. Confirm patient eligibility for the CDCP through their existing patient intake process
2. Confirm the patient is covered for select services
3. Submit a claim with assignment of benefits (non-assigned claims will be rejected)

While this claim-by-claim pathway has been announced, the specifics of how this will work have yet to be officially outlined in writing by Health Canada. 

If you are undecided:

• “Our dental practice hasn’t decided if we will take patients under the CDCP as we don’t have all the details.”
• “We are very supportive of people getting dental care and think it’s great that the government is doing this.”
• “For years, dentists in this province have worked hard to get the Government of Nova Scotia to increase funding for its dental program.”
• “Even though we have not decided if we will be signing up as a provider, all patients will continue to be treated as we’ve always done.”

If you are not signing up:

• “Our dental practice has decided to not sign up for CDCP at this time.”
• “We would want nothing more than to treat any patient under the CDCP but there are aspects of the CDCP that don’t work for our practice/clinic.”
• “Our primary focus has always been on making sure you have the best oral health and this has not changed.”
• “This is Health Canada’s program. We strongly encourage you to contact Health Canada if you have any specific questions about the CDCP.”
• “We will continue to treat you and all our patients with the same level of care as we always have.”

If you are signing up:

• “Yes, we are signing up for the CDCP.”
• “Our next steps would be for you to make an appointment and we will do the initial exam to determine what the best action is moving forward for your oral health care.”
• “Please remember to bring in your CDCP member card for your dental appointment.”

Oral health providers will be reimbursed according to the CDCP established fees for each service covered under the plan; however, CDCP fees may differ from those set out in the Nova Scotia Suggested Fee Guide.

To view the CDCP Dental Benefit Grid, click here.

The CDCP coverage start date varies by patient. Patients will not be reimbursed by the CDCP for any oral health services the receive before their start date.

The application schedule can be viewed here.

Residents who already have access to dental benefits through a social program offered by Nova Scotia will still be eligible for the CDCP.

On May 3, 2024, the federal government released a fact sheet to provide information on the approach to coordination of benefits between the CDCP and Nova Scotia’s dental programs. Find it here.

Health Canada and Sun Life have released a how-to video with an overview of the CDCP claim submission process. View it here.

The April/May issue of Nova Scotia Dentist included CDCP posters dentists have the option of displaying in their practice. Two posters were provided: One stating that the office is participating in the CDCP, and the other stating that the office is not participating at this time. These posters aim to streamline patient communications; however, displaying them is optional.

We have also compiled CDCP dental toolkits, which can be accessed via the link at the top of this page.

If you have a question relating to the CDCP not reflected on this page, please submit them in the form at the bottom of this page or contact us at nsda@bellaliant.com.

• Yes — the CDCP has a co-payment structure and, in addition to this, you can balance bills to your standard and customary fees.
• The CDCP will reimburse a percentage of CDCP fees based on adjusted family net income and require patients to pay the provider:
  • no co-payment for those with an adjusted annual family net income under $70,000
  • a 40% co-payment for those with an adjusted annual family net income between $70,000 and $79,999
  • a 60% co-payment for those with an adjusted annual family net income between $80,000 and $89,999

Patients are responsible for submitting their own application for the CDCP benefit and must bring their CDCP member card to each dental visit to confirm eligibility. You can validate a patient’s eligibility and view their coverage under the CDCP through the Sun Life provider portal or through its call centre.
Oral health providers are responsible for validating CDCP client information prior to providing care. Additionally, they must confirm eligible services, by informing CDCP clients which of the recommended services will and will not be covered by the CDCP before they agree to receive care.

Examples of services that could be covered under the CDCP include the following: 

• preventive services, including scaling (cleaning), polishing, sealants, and fluoride 
• diagnostic services, including examinations and X-rays 
• restorative services, including fillings 
• endodontic services, including root canal treatments 
• prosthodontic services, including complete and partial removable dentures 
• periodontal services, including deep scaling 
• oral surgery services, including extractions 

This webpage is being update regularly with more information: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/dental/dental-care-plan/coverage.html

Sun Life is reaching out to dental providers with information on how to enrol in its portal, Sun Life Direct.
You will be able to confirm that you want to participate in the CDCP directly with Sun Life Direct. If you aren’t interested in having a Sun Life Direct account, you can confirm your participation by completing and submitting a paper form.

• Each dental clinic is different and all practices will have to look at the specific program information and details and make that decision individually.
• We are not recommending that you accept or reject the CDCP. However, we strongly recommend that you do not make a decision until you have all of the information.
• The NSDA’s elected governing council has met and reviewed the CDCP. The council has voted to adopt a position whereby the association does not support the CDCP as it stands at this time.

The NSDA is your voice and advocate. We have been meeting with our fellow provincial/territorial associations (PTDAs), the Canadian Dental Association (CDA), and health care experts on a regular basis since this program was first announced.
We are advocating to the federal government to make sure the CDCP is fair and reasonable to dentists and patients. We have raised our concerns with the program.
To improve public understanding of the CDCP (i.e. what’s covered, who is eligible, etc.), the PTDAs have jointly published three media releases.

As part of the implementation of CDCP, the Dental Care Measures Act requires everyone who completes an income tax return to report employer-provided dental coverage via their T4 and T4A tax forms.
Beginning with the 2023 tax year and moving forward, employers must report whether a current or former employee or any of their family members were eligible to access dental insurance or dental coverage of any kind, including health spending and wellness accounts, as part of their current or former employment. New boxes are being added to the T4 and T4A slips to accommodate the reporting of this information.
An employer who fails to report this information may face a $100 financial penalty for each violation. We suggest employers speak with their accountants regarding these changes and any next steps that may be required. Further information can be accessed through the Canada Revenue Agency.

Refer them to Canada.ca/dental.

Talking points may include:

• “We are supportive of increasing access to care for Canadians. We have worked strongly with our provincial government for years to help increase access to care in our province.”
• “There are still many questions surrounding the CDCP, and while we have not determined if we will be enrolling as a provider, we can say that all patients will continue to be treated as usual.”