November 1, 2024 - Ottawa, ON: Today, the federal government launched preauthorization as part of the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP). Preauthorization is a process requiring prior approval from the federal government for certain services, based on a dentist’s treatment recommendation, before care can proceed. CDA and the provincial and territorial dental associations (PTDAs) are focused on improving access to oral health care of Canadians, and will monitor this new process to ensure it will help more patients receive needed care as the CDCP continues to roll out.
CDA and PTDAs have provided feedback to the government on refining preauthorization criteria and processes to enhance patients’ timely access to care and to reduce the workload for dental offices.
“Thanks to CDA and PTDAs combined advocacy efforts, the federal government has made several key improvements to the preauthorization process, hopefully enabling dental offices to provide patients with the care they need. These improvements include more clarity in the CDCP Benefits Guide and simplification in document criteria needed for preauthorization,” says CDA President Dr. Joel Antel.
Furthermore, CDA was pleased to hear from the federal government, during a meeting held with Minister Holland earlier this week, that the CDCP Look Up Tool will be available to dentists participating in the claim-by-claim pathway starting November 16, expanding access to the tool beyond those registered for the CDCP. This tool is one of the options that registered dentists have to confirm patient CDCP eligibility.
Together with PTDAs, CDA continues to advocate to the federal government to address some key concerns that still remain. For example, since preauthorization is being introduced several months after the program’s May launch, a potential backlog of requests may lead to processing delays due to high volumes.
According to our latest survey, 74% of dentists are seeing patients who require procedures that must be authorized. In other words, these patients have been waiting to receive the care they need. Most dentists plan to submit on average 24 preauthorization requests when they become available.
"We will continue to urge the federal government to provide clear and accessible information about the CDCP for both the public and providers. Effective communication about the program and the preauthorization process is crucial to ensure that patients and dentists are fully informed and able to navigate this federal initiative successfully,” adds Dr. Joel Antel. “We will keep advocating to enhance the CDCP and look forward to continue working with the federal government to ensure all Canadians have improved access to oral health care."
About the Canadian Dental Association
The Canadian Dental Association (CDA) is a trusted national voice for dentists and leader working to improve the oral health of all people living in Canada. We promote oral health, support our members, and advance the dental profession. Founded in 1902, the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) is an association that has no regulatory role. It is a federally incorporated not-for-profit organization whose corporate members are Canada’s provincial and territorial dental associations (PTDAs). CDA represents over 21,000 practising dentists nationwide and is a trusted brand and source of information for and about the dental profession on national and international issues.
Media Contact:
Jeff D’Andrea
Media Relations Specialist
Spécialiste des relations avec les médias
Canadian Dental Association
613-523-7963
media@cda-adc.ca
