Niagara Centre MPP says Ontario needs to step up on seniors’ dental services

In a letter to Health Minister Sylvia Jones yesterday (August 2), Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch says seniors in his riding are finding it progressively harder to get into the dentist’s chair as the Province has made receiving Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program benefits too restrictive.

At the moment, single seniors must earn less than $22,200/year and couples need to make less than $37,100/year to be eligible for the program.

Burch says most seniors’ “income consists of OAS (Old Age Security), GIS (Guaranteed Income Supplement) and CPP (Canada Pension Plan). It’s doubtful they’ll want those amounts reduced.”

He added that the Province is playing a waiting game while seniors suffer without dental care.

“The (Health) Ministry also made it clear these imposed income thresholds will not change until the federal government releases its eligibility requirements on the national dental care plan. No changes will be made until then. No idea when that will happen.”

Meanwhile, Burch said Niagara Region has confirmed that “the waiting list for this area alone is over 500 people, we can only guess what that figure is across the province. This is yet another government waiting list that holds people in limbo until they just give up trying.”

“The Ontario government needs to change its eligibility requirements to help our most vulnerable seniors and not give the excuse of waiting to see what happens at the Federal level. People are fed up with these government programs that promise a lot and end up in limbo.”

As it is, he added, it’s tough for seniors to find dentists who will accept them as patients since the “reimbursement rates for dentists who provide these services through the (OSDCP) are set so low.”