With a federal election potentially just months away, the future of two of the Liberal government’s landmark social programs — dental and pharmacare — is unclear.
Two-thirds of the Canadians set to be covered under the new national dental insurance program are still not eligible. The federal government has also yet to sign a single deal with provinces and territories enabling Ottawa to pay for contraceptive and diabetes medications.
“Nothing is guaranteed. We’re in a volatile circumstance,” federal Health Minister Mark Holland acknowledged last week.
“I will be relentless in making sure that we finish,” he said. “I don’t think we need a lot of time to do it. We need a little bit more.”
But time is running out for Holland to see the two programs through, with the three major opposition parties vowing to bring down the Liberal government with a confidence vote as early as March, triggering a federal election.
With Parliament prorogued and uncertainty around the next federal government, the future of the national dental care and pharmacare programs is up in the air.
Right now, the Canadian Dental Care Plan is helping pay the cost of dental work for three million seniors, children and Canadians who receive the disability tax credit. The program was set to expand early this year for eligible adults aged 19 to 64 — an additional six million people. That hasn’t happened yet and Health Canada hasn’t provided any details on when it will.
“I want to see this get done,” Holland said.
Pharmacare legislation passed last fall, laying the groundwork for Ottawa to begin covering the cost of contraceptive and diabetes drugs and devices. Holland said negotiations with provinces and territories to sign agreements to make that a reality are going “exceptionally well.”
But so far, only a memorandum of understanding has been reached with British Columbia. Not a single deal has been inked.
“I am very excited and confident that we’re going to be able to get that done,” Holland said. “I think then there will be a choice for Parliament.… Do we get a little bit more time to get all of the pharmacare deals done?”
NDP won’t give Liberals more time
NDP health critic and house leader Peter Julian said his party won’t be giving the Liberals more time.
“All it takes is will on behalf of this Liberal government,” Julian said.
The New Democrats supported the Liberals for more than two years through a confidence and supply agreement, in return for the Trudeau government bringing in social programs — including national public dental and pharmacare plans.
Julian said even though Parliament may be prorogued, the legislation and billions of dollars in funding to complete both programs have all already been approved by MPs. That means nothing is stopping Holland from expanding dental care and reaching pharmacare deals now, Julian said.
“All the tools are there for this Liberal government to implement things immediately, and we are saying that there is no excuse for delay on this,” he said.
Julian said he’s concerned the two programs will be cut by the Conservatives should they form government in the next election.
Conservatives silent on their plans
The Conservative Party did not respond to multiple requests for comment from CBC News.
The Conservatives have openly criticized the dental and pharmacare plans — but have never said whether they would keep, change or cancel the programs should they win the next election.
Social programs do tend to survive changes in government, according to Dr. Carlos Quiñonez, a dental public health expert at Western University in London, Ont.
He points to Canada’s universal health care and employment insurance as examples.
“With respect to health and social services, historically, once these programs are in place, they tend to stick around even with changes in government,” Quiñonez said.
“Once you give something to somebody, it’s very hard to take it away. And I would think that that political calculus goes on.”
“The issue though becomes how they look once a new government … is in place.”
A Nova Scotia dentist who has long advocated for universal and public dental insurance says he’s worried dental care might not survive if all nine million eligible Canadians aren’t signed up before the election.
“I absolutely do think that this program is at risk of being cut,” Dr. Brandon Doucet said.
Doucet said taking away dental insurance from people who desperately need it would be “incredibly cruel.”
“I’ve seen dozens of times people try to extract their own teeth with pliers, and I’m left trying to dig out whatever is left,” he said.
