Health minister committed to fixing dental-care double standard: hygienists
OTTAWA — A new national dental-care plan denies independent hygienists equal reimbursement for the same services offered in dentists’ offices — and the federal health minister said this week he isn’t convinced by the rationale that led to that disparity.
Reimbursement rates vary from province to province, but the newly launched program pays significantly less for a cleaning that happens at a private hygiene clinic.
Now that the program has launched, the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association is raising its concerns about the plan with new urgency.
“I’m concerned about that too,” Health Minister Mark Holland said Tuesday. “I haven’t been convinced by the rationale defending it.”