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A Message for CDA Corporate Member Provincial Dental Associations
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Below is a snapshot of the Canadian Dental Association’s (CDA) pandemic work for the week ending May 22, 2020.
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Advocacy Updates
New! CDA Invited to Present to Federal Health Committee
CDA has formally been invited to present to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health as part of its ongoing study on the impacts of COVID-19. Dates for the appearance will be confirmed shortly, but will take place in early June 2020. More information is to follow.
Update: Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) applications open Monday
The CECRA program will open for applications from commercial property owners through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation website on Monday, May 25, 2020. The program offers forgivable loans to eligible commercial property owners to reduce the rent owed by their impacted small business tenants. More information on the program is available at the CMHC website.
Update: Eligibility criteria expanded for Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA)
Eligibility criteria for the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) has been broadened to allow more small businesses to access this loan product, including sole proprietors who may not have payroll but are able to demonstrate non-deferrable expenses of $40,000 to $1.5 million. These expenses can include rent, property tax, utilities and insurance. CEBA provides for a loan up to $40,000 to fund certain expenses incurred by the business. The loan is interest free up to December 31, 2022 and no principal payments are required. The CDA website will be updates with these details soon.
Update: Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy extended
The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) has been extended by three months, through August 29, 2020. This will enable businesses that are gradually resuming services to have some assistance in returning key staff. The CDA website will be updated with more details as they become available.
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Other Important Updates
This Week’s Fast Facts: Current COVID-19 Situation
- There are over 5 million COVID-19 cases worldwide, with a mortality rate of 6.5%. There continues to be a 15% increase in new cases worldwide with significant hot spots including Russia, the United States and Brazil.
- Germany, a reference country for Canada in terms of approach to COVID-19, has seen an increase in new COVID-19 cases as restrictions have been lifted.
- To date, the mortality rate for the U.S. is 5.9%.
- In Canada, the mortality rate to date is 7.9% and stems largely from the high percentage of cases in long-term care facilities and among the elderly. At this point in time, the significant “hot spots” with active outbreaks continue to be Ontario and Quebec.
- The Chief Public Health Officer of Canada is now recommending non-medical masks for the general population in situations where maintaining a two-metre social distancing is difficult.
Beware! Case finding follow-up shows that even in places where stringent infection prevention and social distancing protocols exist, there have been transmission of COVID-19.
This is primarily being traced back to interactions that happen between individuals in common areas, such as lunchrooms, washrooms, etc. It’s important not to let your guard down. Individuals, including at workplaces that are gradually resuming routine service provision, should continue to take all necessary precautions, including disinfecting common area surfaces, such as counters, door handles, faucets, sinks and toilets, and respect the need to socially distance to avoid the spread of the virus.
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Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):
Update: Federal Government PPE Supply Webpage Launched
Public Works and Government Services Canada launched a new webpage which provides information on the availability of government-procured PPE. The webpage includes information about the types of PPE ordered, what has actually been received by the federal government from suppliers, and more. At this point in time, it appears that PPE supplies that have been secured by the federal government is less than 10% of what was ordered.
The Logistics Advisory Committee, set up under the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Public Health Response Plan for Biological Events, reports that appropriate stock is available for hospitals, long-term care facilities and home care. Availability of stock for hospices, pharmacy, dentistry and other allied health care providers remains problematic and varies between jurisdictions. Coverage of the costs also varies by jurisdictions. They are working on refining the specifics by jurisdiction.
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New! Change to Health Canada webpage on Optimizing Use of Masks and Respirators
To help alleviate issues with the supply N95 respirators, Health Canada has updated its webpage, Optimizing the use of masks and respirators during the COVID-19 outbreak. The most significant change relates to authorizing the use of commercial grade N-95 (or P95) respirators (or equivalencies such as commercial grade KN95 [or KP95] respirators) by health care institutions within a health care setting during the COVID-19 outbreak. This applies when medical N95 (or equivalent) respirators are not available.
This change is significant because commercial grade (i.e., non-medical) respirators do not qualify as a medical device and as such, do not require an authorization under the Interim Order (IO) or a Medical Device Establishment Licence (MDEL). Commercial grade respirators continue not to be tested for resistance to fluid penetration, and when used in an environment that could expose these respirators to fluids, the wearer should use a face shield over the mask.
Unfortunately, respirators are not the only type of PPE that are in short supply. At this point in time, depending on the region, face shields, gowns, head and shoe covers may also have availability issues. CDA pursues any lead it receives about the availability of all types of PPE. When these products appear to be legitimate, CDA notifies licensed dental distributors directly so that they can follow-up with the respective companies.
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New! PPE Price-gouging
CDA has become aware of instances where dentists may be experiencing “price-gouging” of N95 respirators from sellers. It has been reported that some masks are being sold for up to $18 each due to demand. CDA is investigating potential recourse through Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada to force these resellers to bring prices down to a more reasonable level.
It is important to remember that unless a respirator is properly fitted and fit tested, it is only a mask and does not provide the level of protection the wearer may need.
CDA will provide further updates on these issues as new information becomes available.
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Update: CDA’s webpage on counterfeit, sub-standard and non-equivalent N95-like respirators provides helpful information about N95 compliance; varieties and markings; importing liability issues; and more.
Corporate Member PDAs can use this social media promo pack to help raise awareness of this issue among dentists. The package has been updated this week to include French language posts and graphics. The promo pack includes four targeted social media posts which can be paired with CDA-branded or non-branded graphic cards. The messaging can also be adjusted, as deemed appropriate.
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Update: Claims for Extra Charges for PPE
CDA continues to be in discussions with the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA) about claims for additional costs related to enhanced PPE requirements. While decisions about coverage are made by individual companies on a plan-by-plan basis, CDA and CLHIA are working to facilitate the submission of claims for this expense by identifying an industry-wide approach that can be implemented rapidly by a majority of claims processors.
CDA joined CLHIA’s Working Group on Group Claims on May 19 to explain why many dentists feel the need to charge an extra fee for the additional PPE required to treat their patients safely during this pandemic. Discussions also included exploring options to allow patients who are covered by a dental plan to claim extra costs. Discussions around these options continue with CLHIA and the provincial dental associations, who use the USC&LS for preparing its fee guides. CDA will report any new updates once decisions are made.
CDA is focusing its efforts on the facilitation of claims related to the cost of additional PPE. The extra cost of PPE issue is tangible and relatively easy to explain, and are negatively impacting the cost of oral health care. Further increases can be expected in the coming months as the time to provide the same treatment has increased substantially with many of the newly proposed provincial requirements.
Reminder! Before charging additional fees to cover the cost of PPE, it is essential to ensure this is done in a manner that is aligned with the expectations of provincial dental regulatory authorities.
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CDA’s Return to Practice Task Force (The Task Force):
The Task Force includes representatives from all Corporate Member PDAs, and meets weekly to discuss deliverables for:
- evidence-based treatment protocols and how to carry these out;
- strategies for obtaining and securing PPEs; and
- communications to the public on dentists returning to practice.
Ongoing: Return-to-Practice Office Manual
Over the coming weeks, the Task Force will review and update this document based on the suggestions being received. CDA will incorporate the best available evidence-based findings for this tool. The next revised version of the Manual will be shared with Corporate Member PDAs as soon as its available.
The Task Force continues to review and prioritize its list of deliverables. Any specific expectations or special requests of the Task Force should be fed forward by Corporate Member PDAs to their PDA member representative.
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Update! TripleGuardTM Insurance Pandemic Coverage
As of May 19, 2020, financial information has been received from 2,750 dentists to process their claims, 2,286 payments have been made, and 2,000 claims have been settled. The total payout to date amounts to $63.5 million. By now, all dentists who have filed a claim should have been contacted by AVIVA. Contact will be made with dentists who have pandemic insurance coverage, but who have not yet submitted claims.
CDSPI clarified that rent is not deducted from a claim. Check out CDSPI’s FAQs (May 19) for the latest information on pandemic claims. CDA will share any updates as new information becomes available.
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Knowledge and Information Broker:
CDA Oasis is CDA’s primary channel of communication for delivering urgent information to the dental community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
New! CDA Oasis produces a series of video interviews with members of the CDA Board, CDA’s COVID-19 Team, and other relevant subject matter experts. The following videos were published this week:
This week’s CDA Oasis Bulletin collated relevant and timely “news that you can use” related to COVID-19.
Reminder: CDA Essentials Issue 3 now is available online. Content specific to the COVID-19 pandemic includes:
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Mental Health and Wellness:
With the COVID-19 pandemic placing significant strain on individuals and families across the country, it’s more important than ever to safeguard your mental health and overall wellness.
CDA continues to actively promote available mental health and wellness support through CDSPI’s Members’ Assistance Program (MAP) via social media, its Help Desk service, and on its website. MAP can be accessed by calling 1.844.578.4040 or visiting www.workhealthlife.com.
New! Three wellness posts featured in the Mental Health Corner of CDA Oasis:
- Mind Your Business - Return To Work - Workplace Mental Health:
Take an active role in contributing to better mental health for yourself and others. Return to work is one of the 5 Rs of workplace mental health. Read on to learn more about how understanding return to work can make a difference. (May 22)
- Mind Your Business - Recovery - Workplace Mental Health:
Recovery is very personal and unique for each individual and impacts attitudes, values, feelings, goals, skills, and roles. The list below highlights important information about mental health recovery, whether it's your own recovery or if you are supporting someone else. (May 20)
- Mind Your Business - Recognizing Risk - Workplace Mental Health:
Take an active role in contributing to better mental health for yourself and others. Recognizing risk is one of the 5 Rs of workplace mental health. Read on to learn more about how recognizing risk can make a difference. (May 19)
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Free counselling, referral and information service for dentists, dental office employees, and their families.
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CDA Help Desk:
CDA’s Help Desk assists dentists and dental office employees on how to navigate and access federal government support programs.
CDA’s website offers federal funding program information that is tailored to certain business models used in dentistry, including:
Help is only a quick call away. 1-866-232-0385, M-F, 7:30 A.M. – 8:00 p.m. EDT.Corporate Member PDAs are welcome to use this Help Desk social media promo pack to promote the Help Desk service to dentists who require a little extra support.
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Reminder: Use CDA Secure Send to Safeguard Patient Data
Dental offices are preparing for or are gradually resuming routine dental care based on the guidelines of provincial health officers and provincial dental regulatory bodies. CDA Secure Send, a membership service, is an excellent tool to assist dental offices with many of the new realities of screening and planning treatment electronically.
CDA Secure Send includes the ability to:
- Transmit patient data securely and quickly
- Comply with patient privacy laws
- Protect against data breaches
- Find contacts in the Canadian Dentist Directory easily or enter any e-mail address manually
- Recipients don’t need a CDA Secure Send account to receive files securely
Corporate Members can continue to use the CDA Secure Send promotional toolkit from March 2020 in their communications to member dentists. The promotional toolkit includes suggested email/newsletter content; social media posts and graphics; a brochure; print ads; web assets and key messages.
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CDA COVID-19 Repository at a Glance:
New resources added!
CDA serves as a COVID-19 Repository for Corporate Member PDAs by collecting advice and available COVID-19 resources from external organizations and any sources that PDAs wish to share. The information is placed in the Repository and is exclusively available for use by the PDAs, for onward transmission to their respective dentist members, as deemed appropriate.
For quick reference, the following materials have been added to the Repository this week. For the complete resource listing, please log in to view them all. Login details on how to access the Repository are below.
Dental Schools, Research, Journal Articles and Continuing Education Resources:
Conference Board of Canada
COVID-19: Rapid Innovation & Readiness Pulse Check: The Conference Board of Canada and the Public Services Health and Safety Association (PSHSA) are partnering to discover emerging innovations that organizations have developed to Manage the challenges related to the pandemic; Support both essential and non-essential employees; and Prepare for the return to the workplace.
By participating in this pulse check, you will be invited to a webinar where we will share the results. The exchange of information this webinar will facilitate might stimulate ideas around other solutions your organization could benefit from throughout this COVID-19 pandemic as well as during post-COVID-19 recovery. Take pulsecheck.
- Return to Work Survey Results: Working through COVID-19. Survey Results from top employers across the country.
Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity
- Webinar: Emergency Health Workforce Policies to Address COVID-19: Ensuring Access to Oral Health Care
U.S. Department of Labor
National Resources:
COVID PPE HELP
Canadian Dental Association Oasis Discussions:
Provincial Dental Association / Regulatory Body Resources:
British Columbia Dental Association
Dental Association of PEI
New Brunswick Dental Society
Newfoundland & Labrador Dental Association
Nova Scotia Dental Association:
Ontario Dental Association
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Access to COVID-19 Repository: PDA Executive Directors, Corporate Member Presidents and select staff, and CDA Board Members have access to the CDA COVID-19 Repository via the CDA Board Resource Website.
The link to access the CDA COVID-19 Repository: https://boardresources.ca/covid/.
Log-in: Please use your existing CDA Board Resources login credentials to access the COVID-19 Repository.
If you have trouble logging in, or require a login for someone in your organization who would like access, please email Dean Smith, CDA Manager of Information Technology, dsmith@cda-adc.ca.
Share: To include your organization’s resources in the COVID-19 Repository, please email Zelda Burt, CDA Communications Manager, zburt@cda-adc.ca.
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The CDA COVID-19 Response Team works diligently on a range of fronts to help minimize and mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on the dental profession. CDA is working to address scientific, clinical, economic and business-related matters impacting dentistry, including efforts to increase awareness about the mental health and wellness of dentists, their families and dental office employees during these challenging times. CDA will communicate regular updates as new information becomes available.
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