Ottawa’s national dental program is chewing through far more cash than expected, with federal officials admitting the scheme is now on track to cost 50% more than budgeted as millions of Canadians rush to book long-delayed appointments.Blacklock's Reporter says health department CFO Ryan Higgs told the Senate national finance committee the flood of claims — now projected to exceed $4 billion this year — reflects years of Canadians skipping dental care due to cost. He said demand should cool once “immediate needs” are handled.The program was initially forecast to cost $3.2 billion this year, but senators were told another $1.6 billion had to be added to keep up. “The dental program is very expensive,” said Sen. Elizabeth Marshall, who pressed officials on why the numbers ballooned so quickly. “We didn’t think that program was going to cost so much.”The plan covers Canadians without workplace or private insurance and with household incomes under $90,000. Roughly six million have qualified so far, with 2.4 million already filing claims..Assistant deputy health minister Lynne René de Cotret said the true price tag will land closer to $4.32 billion by year-end — though internal projections include a possible high of $4.8 billion. “We have to be able to pay the dentists,” she said, noting early enrolment by seniors revealed extensive untreated dental problems after years without care.Officials say demand continues to climb daily as more people finally get into dentist chairs. De Cotret said the department asked for advance funds because “pent-up demand has been greater than we initially anticipated.”.Senators also raised alarms over nearly $473 million in administrative costs. Sen. Clément Gignac questioned whether the program will become a $4-billion-a-year fixture. De Cotret said the program is “more popular than we expected” and that the department is scrambling to update long-term projections. “After two years we will be in a better position,” she told senators.Another concern is whether employers are cutting or reducing dental benefits now that Ottawa is footing more of the bill. Sen. Krista Ross warned that could further inflate program costs. De Cotret said there is no evidence yet but acknowledged “if there is that displacement, then that would put pressure for sure on the plan.”The program has been running for less than two years and only recently expanded to the working-age population. Officials say they are watching closely for shifts that could push the cost even higher.
