Lemmy.World

Premier Danielle Smith in her letter acknowledges the CDCP has led to more Albertans becoming eligible for coverage under the new federal plan.

Take individuals seeking coverage under the Alberta Adult Health benefit, for example. To qualify, a couple with four children would have to see a maximum net household income of $46,932.

"I think [$46,932] is really low for a threshold," said Ameera Shivji with Vibrant Communities Calgary, a poverty reduction organization.

"That [$46,932] doesn't cover a lot of people that would be in real need for this program."

Given the CDCP's $90,000 adjusted family net income threshold, more families would be captured above the Alberta Adult Health benefit's cutoff.

Late last month, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith sent a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, stating that Alberta would pull out of the federal government's dental care plan by 2026.

Instead, the province would seek a negotiation to secure Alberta's share of federal funding to reshape dental care coverage as it sees fit.

Though Alberta is seeking to secure the funds allocated to that program, there is actually no agreement signed with Alberta. The federal program is administered by Sun Life Financial, and dentists who sign up under the CDCP are reimbursed by Sun Life.

It suggests that the number of Albertans who have already signed up for the program — more than 100,000, according to Matthew Kronberg, a press secretary for federal Health Minister Mark Holland — illustrates why it is necessary.