OTTAWA — The Canada Dental Care Plan (CDCP) will cost taxpayers significantly more than initially projected, with a senior public servant revealing to a senate committee that patient fees are expected to surpass $18 billion over five years.
This figure exceeds the original cabinet estimate of approximately $13 billion for the same period and the $10.1 billion projection from a 2023 Parliamentary Budget Office report.
Appearing Wednesday before the Senate National Finance Committee, Health Canada Chief Financial Officer Ryan Higgs stated that last year's supplementary estimates did not include $149 million for patient costs. “It is funding for the delivery of the Canadian dental care plan, including application verification and eligibility determination services provided largely by Employment and Social Development Canada,” Higgs explained.
Regarding future funding, Higgs noted that his department is monitoring the program closely. “It is a new program, and we continue to monitor and update forecasting, including working with the office of the chief actuary to determine demand for benefits,” he said. Currently approved appropriations vary year-over-year, with $3.4 billion allocated for the current fiscal year and amounts ranging from $3.4 billion to $3.9 billion annually over the next five fiscal years.
Hidden Figures Draw Senator's Criticism
The $3.4 billion figure surprised Senator Clément Gignac, who pressed Higgs for clarification on where it appears in the government's main estimates. “I just cannot find it in the main estimates,” Gignac said. “That represents nearly 30 to 35 percent of the annual budget, and I cannot find the line. Perhaps something is missing, or I checked too quickly.”
Higgs responded that a line-by-line breakdown is unavailable because the spending is classified as an operating expenditure. “You can see on the first page of the main estimates that last year the main estimates were $4.26 billion for Health Canada, and this year they are $4.471 billion. It is included in that $4.471 billion,” he said.
Gignac criticized the lack of transparency, emphasizing that it is Parliament's role to analyze and approve spending. “This is a significant amount, and it must be clearly presented to allow proper oversight,” he stated.
Background on the Dental Care Plan
The CDCP is a federally funded dental insurance program designed to provide low- and middle-income Canadians without private insurance access to oral healthcare. It was a key component of the NDP's supply-and-confidence agreement that supported the minority Liberal government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The program soft-launched in December 2023 for seniors aged 87 and older, expanded to children and adults with disability tax credits in June 2024, and opened to all eligible Canadians in May 2025. Coverage is income-based.
“For fiscal year 2026-27, over $3.4 billion is allocated to expanded recipient eligibility and to provide ongoing benefits to help our health system prevent dental disease, reduce emergency visits, and improve overall health outcomes,” Higgs told the committee in French. He added that investments in the plan are ensuring millions of Canadians gain access to oral healthcare.
