A message from the Municipal Retiree Benefit Trust Board of Trustees: March 27, 2024
Learn more about the Canadian Dental Care Plan eligibility and MRBT dental coverage
In December 2023, the Government of Canada announced the launch of the new Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP). Over the last few months, the Municipal Retiree Benefit Board of Trustees has received information regarding eligibility for enrollment, and how the new CDCP may affect retirees.
Eligibility for retired members
The Government of Canada, through Health Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), has confirmed that pensioners who have access to a dental plan, like the one offered through the MRBT and insured by Pacific Blue Cross, will not be eligible to enroll in the CDCP. This applies regardless of annual household income. However, you may be eligible for the CDCP if you opted out of the dental plan offered by the MRBT before December 11, 2023.
Eligibility for limited members
Limited members are former spouses of plan members who apply to the plan to become a limited member following a separation or divorce. Limited members do not have access to dental care coverage through the MRBT and may be eligible to participate in the CDCP. Please contact Service Canada to confirm your eligibility.
Eligibility for non-spouse beneficiaries receiving a pension
Non-spouse beneficiaries receiving a pension may not have access to dental care coverage through the MRBT and may be eligible to participate in the CDCP. Please contact Service Canada to confirm your eligibility.
Dental access reporting on your T4A
In the future, you will see a dental access code declaration on your tax slips from the Municipal Pension Plan. This code will show whether you have access to dental care coverage through MRBT.
Your 2023 T4A from the Municipal Pension Plan does not include the dental access code declaration. While your 2023 T4A does not report eligibility to access dental, recent information released by the Government of Canada indicates that most retired members are not eligible to participate in the CDCP unless they opted out of the dental plan offered by MRBT before December 11, 2023.
You will see the new dental access code declaration reported on your 2024 T4A.
The MRBT Board of Trustees has requested that the Government of Canada change the CDCP eligibility criteria
In late December 2023, the MRBT Board of Trustees wrote to the Government of Canada requesting a change to the eligibility criteria for the CDCP. Currently, eligibility for the CDCP requires an individual to have “no access” to an insured plan. The MRBT requested the eligibility criteria become “no coverage” under an insured plan to better address the needs of members facing financial barriers. To date, we have not received a reply.
We understand that eligibility rules may negatively affect some members’ access to dental coverage. We continue to review potential implications as the government of Canada releases more information.
Please continue to visit the MRBT section of the plan website for more information.
Revised April 26, 2024
