Canadian Dental Care Plan
Throughout 2024 – Over the course of the year, CDHA consistently advocated for the integral role of dental hygienists and their services in the Canadian Dental Care Plan. Our efforts focused on fee parity, access to preventive oral health services, and ensuring dental hygienists are recognized as key contributors to the success of federal oral health initiatives. Most CDCP services became available in May, when the first cohort of clients began receiving care. Visit our CDCP information page for dental hygienists to understand provider participation in the program.
CDHA Advocacy Meetings on Parliament Hill
May 29-30, 2024 - CDHA’s President, Francine Trudeau, and staff conducted a focused series of advocacy meetings on Parliament Hill, holding eight strategic discussions with members of all major political parties, senators, and key policy staff. These meetings provided an important opportunity to reinforce CDHA’s federal advocacy priorities and ensure that the voice of dental hygienists continues to be heard in national health policy discussions. By engaging directly with decision-makers, CDHA continues to advocate for affordable, accessible, and preventive oral health care and to highlight the essential role of dental hygienists in Canada’s health care system.
Canada Student Loan Forgiveness expanded to dental hygienists
April 16, 2024 - CDHA celebrates a significant advocacy win with the announcement in Budget 2024 that dental
hygienists
will be included in the Canada Student Loan
Forgiveness Program. This expansion aims to encourage additional health care
and social services professionals to work in rural and remote communities—areas where access to care is limited and
the
need is great. Once implemented in 2025-26, dental hygienists working in underserved communities will be eligible to
have the federal portion of their student loans forgiven. CDHA welcomes this recognition of the profession’s vital
role
in the health care system and its contribution to improving access to oral health care in underserved areas.
Submission to the Government of Canada on Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the 2024 Federal Budget
February 8, 2024 - CDHA is pleased to join the conversation about the 2024 federal budget with a written submission to the Department of Finance. CDHA’s top priorities include the implementation of sustainable coverage through the Canadian Dental Care Plan, supporting the oral health care needs of residents in long term care homes, and improving access to oral health care in rural and remote communities specifically by expanding the list of professionals eligible under the Canada Student Loan Forgiveness with dental hygienists. Read the submission here.