Health minister tells groups to sign confidentiality agreement for dental plan details

Health Canada began to develop the new dental-care insurance plan last year, after the Liberals signed a confidence-and-supply agreement with the New Democrats.

Health Canada will consult with provincial dental associations that have complained of being left in the dark about the new federal dental-care plan – but only if they sign a confidentiality agreement.

Health Minister Mark Holland noted that condition in his response to provincial and territorial dental associations, who last month expressed serious concerns over Canadian dentists lacking information about critical aspects of the new plan set to launch before the end of the year.

In a joint letter to the federal health minister, the associations said they worry the success of the new plan is being compromised “by a lack of meaningful consultation with the dentists we represent – those who will be expected to deliver on the government’s promises.”

Holland responded to the provincial and territorial associations with his own letter on Wednesday, where he committed to engaging with them.

He said, however, that the associations had recently declined conversations with the government after they had been asked to keep those discussions under wraps.

“A successful launch requires communicating the program simply and clearly to Canadians, which is why we are recommending these conversations happen under confidentiality agreements until details are finalized,” Holland wrote.

The 10 provincial dental associations, plus one for the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, that Holland addressed in his letter were not immediately available for comment on Thursday.

Three other dental groups the government has consulted with on the development of the dental-care plan, including the Canadian Dental Association, told The Canadian Press they have agreed to sign confidentiality agreements.