The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) is projected to make oral healthcare more accessible for up to nine million patients. Is your dental practice ready?
The CDCP covers a variety of dental services for eligible Canadians, including seniors aged 65 and up, children under 18, and adults in the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) program. In 2025, the CDCP will expand to cover all uninsured Canadian tax residents with a net family income below $90,000. But what does this mean for your business?
More than 90% of oral health providers are participating in the CDCP, so it’s likely that your dental practice is on board or considering it. To help you optimize patient care and your business, it’s important to be prepared with top-quality and affordable dental supplies.
why pay more for dental supplies?
CDCP dental clinic preparation
Whether you’ve signed up officially through the program administrator, Sun Life, or you’re working with them on a claim-by-claim basis, the Canadian Dental Care Plan has a claims process similar to other insurance plans you’ve likely worked with. It involves the typical preauthorization submissions and billing and reimbursement transactions. In terms of CDCP dental clinic preparation, you need to agree to bill Sun Life, which reimburses you based on the CDCP dental benefits guide and according to provincial or territorial dental benefits grids.
Patient coverage can be confirmed, and those who aren’t covered 100% by the CDCP must pay the difference to you, similar to any co-pay. Also, if you feel the CDCP fee structure is insufficient or lower than the provincial fees you’ve modelled your business on, you can opt to charge patients additional fees or for services not covered by the plan. These fees will be in addition to the CDCP co-pay (if any) that the patient pays at time of service. In a nutshell, Sun Life pays providers for CDCP-covered costs, and patients pay any additional amounts out of pocket, which should be communicated to them before proceeding.
CDCP impact on dental practices
How will the Canadian Dental Care Plan realistically affect your business? The CDCP relates to your uninsured patients. If you look at the number of active uninsured patients you serve, that shows you your CDCP potential as it stands. If other practitioners in your area aren’t participating in the program and you are, then you may have an opportunity to expand your patient base. You can reach out to your community and let prospective patients know that you are a CDCP provider in your marketing and branding efforts. Also, make sure you are listed in the CDCP Provider Search Tool.
If you decide not to participate in the CDCP, perhaps because your patient base is primarily insured or you are concerned it may impact the exceptional care you provide, then communicate this to patients so there are no misunderstandings. The CDCP’s impact on dental practices is something to watch, and it would be a good idea to monitor how opting out is affecting your ongoing business. Track the number of patients who stop visiting your practice in favour of a CDCP provider and revisit the decision to opt-out if needed.
affordable dental supplies for Canadian clinics
The business of dentistry has high costs, and to keep it healthy and thriving, you need to protect your bottom line. You can elevate your success with the CDCP by doing this one critical thing—partnering with a company that specializes in top-quality, highly affordable dental supplies for Canadian clinics.
At Factory Direct Dental, we offer affordability and quality without compromise. Buying dental supplies online has never been simpler. With no need to sign up or sign in, you can quickly order the supplies you need. We never make you wait for backorders and provide free and same-day shipping options. Our factory pricing, promotions, and specials help keep your equipment and supplies costs down so you can provide excellent care to all patients and optimize your business at the same time.
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