NDP dental care program covering more Canadians in June

VANCOUVER— Beginning in June, the NDP dental plan will expand to cover children under 18 and people living with disabilities across the country—changing the lives of 4.5 million Canadians.

On Friday morning, Canada’s NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, NDP MP Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway) and NDP MP Bonita Zarrillo (Port Moody—Coquitlam) spoke at a seniors' centre where seniors shared how the dental coverage New Democrats delivered has improved their life.

“It’s so amazing to hear how the dental care we fought for is improving the lives of seniors,” said Singh. “During the month of June, even more Canadians will be eligible—this will provide some much-needed relief for families struggling to keep up with rising costs. When your child is in pain, the last thing you should have to worry about is the cost of getting them care. And people living with disabilities are already disproportionately living in poverty, going to the dentist shouldn’t be an added financial burden. That’s why the NDP fought for this dental care plan—for years—before forcing the government to put this help in place.

“Despite thousands of seniors already benefiting from the NDP’s dental coverage, Pierre Poilievre openly says he will cut it entirely if he gets the chance. While Pierre Poilievre wants to cut and make your life harder, the NDP is using its power to make your life easier and more affordable.”

Over a third of Canadians don’t have dental insurance, and nearly 7 million Canadians avoid the dentist every year because of the high cost. There are already more than 2 million seniors registered from the NDP’s dental care plan and thousands have already seen a dentist.

“Dental coverage will be life-changing for families and for persons living with disabilities. Thousands of seniors are already saving money because of the NDP’s dental plan,” said Singh. “This is the same plan Justin Trudeau and Pierre Poilievre voted against for Canadians. But the NDP didn’t give up. We kept pushing and now millions of Canadians are going to get the care that they deserve.”