Joy SpearChief-Morris has been awarded the prestigious 2025 CJF-CBC Indigenous Journalism Fellowship, a program aimed at promoting Indigenous voices and enhancing awareness of Indigenous issues in various media platforms across Canada.
Janine Manning found herself in need of a root canal procedure, which her dentist suggested should be performed by a specialist due to the specific condition of her tooth. As a member of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation in southern Ontario, Manning relies on the federal Non-Insured Health Benefits program (NIHB) for coverage, including dental care for Indigenous individuals.
Despite having private insurance that covered a portion of the cost, Manning was surprised to learn that the federal program would only contribute $159 towards the nearly $2,200 treatment. This left Manning with an out-of-pocket expense of close to $600, highlighting the challenges faced by Indigenous individuals in accessing adequate dental services.
The NIHB program, designed to cover services not included in medicare such as vision and dental care, mental health support, prescriptions, and medical supplies, is meant to be a last-resort option for clients with existing provincial/territorial or private insurance. However, both dentists and program users like Manning argue that the system is outdated and fails to keep pace with current costs and treatment methodologies.
Caroline Lidstone-Jones, CEO of the Indigenous Primary Healthcare Council, emphasized that accessing dental care through NIHB presents numerous obstacles for eligible individuals, leading to prolonged wait times, partial approvals, and limited provider options. These challenges often result in preventable tooth loss due to untreated dental issues.
Critics, including Dr. Aaron Burry from the Canadian Dental Association, advocate for modernizing the NIHB program to align with contemporary dental practices and streamline the approval process for treatments. The program’s complex predetermination procedures and delayed reimbursements have led to frustration among both patients and dental practitioners, prompting some dentists to opt out of the program.
Efforts to address the shortcomings of the NIHB program have been met with mixed results. A parliamentary report highlighted administrative deficiencies and called for updates to approval processes to enhance oral health outcomes for Indigenous communities. However, the federal government has yet to clarify whether these recommendations have been implemented.
Moving forward, stakeholders like Dr. Scott Leckie and Caroline Lidstone-Jones stress the importance of a comprehensive review of the NIHB dental program’s administrative processes to ensure better accessibility and outcomes for patients. They advocate for a more collaborative approach that benefits patients, providers, and the government, ultimately aiming for a system that effectively meets the diverse dental care needs of Indigenous populations.
