Dental associations are ‘negotiating’ ahead of federal dental plan rollout, heath minister says

Canada’s dental associations, which say some of their members are reluctant to participate in the national dental care plan, are in fact just negotiating with Ottawa over the program, says federal Health Minister Mark Holland.“They’re doing their job. They are negotiating,” Holland told reporters on Monday. “They want to get the best deal for their members; I want to get the best deal for taxpayers.”However, he said, the federal government can’t accept the demand by “a lot” of dentists and other dental care providers that patients pay for services first and then get reimbursed by Ottawa, as is possible with private insurers.