The federal health department is acknowledging it wrongly paid out more than $6.6 million in Canada Dental Care Plan claims after thousands of people were mistakenly told they qualified for the program.Blacklock's Reporter says in an Inquiry Of Ministry tabled in the House of Commons, officials said 68,081 ineligible claims worth $6,615,553 were approved due to computer errors that miscalculated adjusted family net income — a key factor in determining who qualifies for the benefit. Eligibility is restricted to Canadians with household incomes under $90,000 a year and no private insurance.The department confirmed none of the money has been recovered and that no one who received an incorrect eligibility notice is being asked to repay. The figures were obtained by Conservative MP Branden Leslie (Portage–Lisgar), who pressed the government to disclose how many people were wrongly approved..The admission comes as the cost of the already overburdened dental program continues to climb. Federal managers testified November 27 at the Senate national finance committee that spending is now expected to hit $4.8 billion this year — a jump of roughly 50% from the original $3.2-billion forecast.Assistant deputy health minister Lynne René de Cotret told senators that six million Canadians have enrolled so far and 2.4 million have already filed claims. She said demand is growing daily as more people visit dentists for long-delayed care.De Cotret said the surge is largely driven by seniors who had gone years without treatment and are now seeking fillings, dentures and other essential procedures. She added the department requested advance funds because the volume of claims is rising faster than anticipated.
