These are early days for the federal plan, so stay tuned for any changes. We’ve just recently been advised that people who opted out of an employer’s retiree health and dental benefit plan before December 11, 2023, and cannot opt back in under the plan rules, are eligible for the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP). Anyone who chooses to opt out after this date will not be eligible.

The following is the eligibility criteria of the Canadian Dental Care Plan that was updated on March 4, 2024 on the Government of Canada website.

Eligibility criteria

To qualify for the CDCP, you must:

• • not have access to dental insurance
    What does not having access to dental insurance mean?
    This means you do not have access to any type of dental insurance or coverage through:
    • your employment benefits or a family member’s employment benefits, including health and wellness accounts
    • a professional or student organization
      Note: If you’re eligible for dental coverage through your employment benefits or through a professional or student organization, you’re not eligible for CDCP. This is true even if:
      • you decide not to take it
      • you have to pay a premium for it
      • you don’t use it
    • your pension benefits or a family member’s pension benefits
      • this includes federal, provincial and territorial government employer pension plans
      • Exception: You may be eligible for the CDCP if you’re retired and:
        • you opted out of pension benefits before December 11, 2023, and
        • you can’t opt back in under the pension rules
    • coverage purchased by you or a family member or through a group plan from an insurance or benefits company
      • if you purchased your current dental insurance policy privately (and not as part of any of the coverage described above), you’re not eligible for the CDCP while that coverage is in effect.
  • have an adjusted family net income of less than $90,000
  • be a Canadian resident for tax purposes
  • have filed your tax return in the previous year

You need to meet all the eligibility criteria to qualify for the CDCP.

If you have any questions about eligibility for the Canadian Dental Care Plan, please email benefits@united-church.ca or call the Benefits Centre at 1-855-647-8222.