Dental-Care Double Standard: Hygienists Ask for Equal Pay Under Federal Plan

The Canadian Dental Hygienists Association is calling out the Liberal government for what it says is a double standard in the payment of services under a new federal plan. Last week, Health Canada released the reimbursement guide for the new federal dental-care plan, which is expected to provide oral health coverage for millions of low- and middle-income families. The guides show the federal government plans to pay significantly less for a cleaning that happens at a private hygiene clinic, as opposed to in a dentist’s office. The association’s manager of professional practice, Donna Wells, says that in some provinces, there is more than a 20 per cent difference....