Ontario NDP pledges provincial dental plan that would ‘mesh’ with federal one

The Ontario NDP is pledging free or low-cost dental care for all low- and middle-income families if elected in June.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said Ontarians should not have to worry about the cost of a necessary dental procedure.

The party said Ontario households earning less than $90,000 would pay nothing and households with incomes of between $90,000 and $200,000 would co-pay on a sliding scale that goes no higher than half of the bill.

The party said the plan would save a family of four $1,240 a year on basic check-ups and filling a cavity, and if both kids need braces, the plan could save them more than $13,000.

The NDP said the initiative would be in place before promised federal dental coverage is fully developed, and once the national program is up and running, the provincial plan would “mesh” with it.

An NDP government would invest $680 million this year to pay for their plan and once full, annualized funding flows from the federal government, the Ontario NDP would maintain its program with $380 million a year.