MPP Burch Urging Province to Expand Eligibility for Seniors Dental Care Program

Burch says waiting list for services is growing

Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch is urging the province to expand eligibility requirements for the Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program. 

Burch has written a letter to Health Minister Sylvia Jones, saying the waiting list for services is over 500 people, and continues to grow. 

Single seniors must earn less than $22,200 and couples need to make less than $37,100 to be eligible for the program. 

Burch also notes his office has spoken with the Ministry of Health, and has been told income thresholds won't change until the federal government releases eligibility requirements on the national dental care plan. 

"The Ontario government needs to change its eligibility requirements to help our most vulnerable seniors and not give the excuse of waiting to see what happens at the federal level," Burch says. "People are fed up with these government programs that promise a lot and end up in limbo."

Burch also notes many dentists will not accept patients in the program, since the reimbursement rates for dentists who provide these services is low.

The full letter can be found below: 

Dear Minister Jones:

My office is getting calls from seniors regarding a generated letter from your Ministry indicating they are ineligible since they have exceeded the annual income of $22,200 for a single senior. Their income consists of OAS, GIS and CPP. Its doubtful they’ll want those amounts reduced.

The Niagara Region Health Department has confirmed the waiting list for this area alone is over 500 people, we can only guess what that figure is across the province. This is yet another government waiting list that holds people in limbo until they just give up trying.

In emails from the Ministry of Health, my staff have been told "By targeting low-income seniors with no form of dental benefits, the Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program (OSDCP) will focus on serving vulnerable seniors with the greatest barriers to accessing dental care." But that’s not happening if there is a waiting list going nowhere and growing.

The Ministry also made it clear these imposed income thresholds will not change until the federal government releases its eligibility requirements on the national dental care plan. No changes will be made until then. No idea when that will happen.

The Ontario government needs to change its eligibility requirements to help our most vulnerable seniors and not give the excuse of waiting to see what happens at the Federal level. People are fed up with these government programs that promise a lot and end up in limbo.

You’ll also find limited dentists involved since the reimbursement rates for dentists who provide these services through the Ontario plan are set so low, many will not take on these patients.

Minister, immediate changes are needed to these eligibility income levels for our seniors suffering from lack of proper dental care.

Sincerely,

Jeff Burch, MPP