According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and Daily Hive, the Canadian Ministry of Health revealed that between November 2024 and June 2025, more than half of the requests for pre-authorization of complex dental treatments under the Canadian Dental Care Program (CDCP) were rejected.
The program was launched in 2023 and aims to help Canadian residents with an adjusted annual net income of less than $90,000 and no dental insurance to reduce the burden of dental care costs. The project is managed by a third-party insurance company, Sun Life.
Complex dental treatments cover crown installation, partial dentures, root canal treatment, specialist examinations and other oral surgeries, all of which require advance authorization. The Canadian Ministry of Health said that the CDCP’s coverage standards are stricter than private insurance, and sufficient medical documentation must be submitted when applying to confirm the necessity of the treatment.
Dr. Bruce Ward, a Vancouver dentist and president of the Canadian Dental Association, said that many dentists were confused by being rejected after submitting materials similar to those for private insurance plans.
Despite this, he still recognizes the value of the program, calling it “very good,” and points out that although the program has challenges in growth, it has greatly helped many patients who have difficulty accessing oral care for financial reasons.
Mark Johnson, a spokesman for Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, revealed that most of the applications rejected between November 2024 and June this year were due to incomplete submissions.
Excluding applications with incomplete materials, the actual rejection rate will drop from 52% to 38%. Common reasons for rejection also include patient needs not meeting clinical coverage standards, repeated submission of approved applications, or services not meeting program requirements.
In addition, due to technical problems and a surge in applications, there have been some delays in pre-authorization approvals. Johnson said that as of July 11, 80% of pre-authorization applications had been processed within 7 days.