OTTAWA — Canada’s federal health ministry said Tuesday that roughly 70,000 people were mistakenly approved for coverage under the new public dental insurance program because of an income-calculation error, though the problem has been fixed.
Health Canada said those approvals were later judged to be ineligible or to have incorrect co-payment assessments. Of the misclassified applicants, about 28,000 actually received dental treatment under the program. The ministry said those who received care will not have to repay amounts covered by the plan.
“An error was recently identified in how income was calculated for some applicants’ eligibility determinations. The system has been fixed,” the statement said.
The government has long said the plan covers more than five million Canadians; Health Canada now acknowledges that about three million people were actually enrolled.
The program provides subsidized dental care for households with net income below $90,000 and no private dental insurance. It covers a range of services, including cleanings, fillings and dentures. Health Canada says the average subsidy is about CAD 800 per patient per year.
The dental program began in May 2024, initially covering seniors and then expanding to children and people who receive the disability tax credit. It was scheduled to broaden to all eligible Canadians in May 2025.
The multibillion-dollar plan was a key demand of the New Democratic Party in exchange for supporting the previous Liberal minority government.