The federal dental care plan is expanding. Here's how you can get access
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The Canadian Dental Care Plan is undergoing an expansion this month.
As of May 2025, all remaining eligible adults aged 18 to 64 can apply for dental coverage, with benefits beginning as early as June 1.
Since its launch, 3.4 million Canadians were approved to be part of the plan, and 1.7 million have already received care, Ottawa says. The program initially prioritized seniors, children, and people with disabilities, notes the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario.
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Canadian brand Protein Candy is making high-protein snacks fun
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Protein Candy , founded in London, Ont., is one such company helping to make snacking more fun with its range of high-protein candies. Discover the best of B.C.'s recipes, restaurants and wine. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of West Coast Table will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The candy comes in four varieties ( Berry Punch , Tropical Fruit , Classic Fruit and Classic Fruit Sour ), each filled with an assortment of four fruity flavours. One serving is packed with 14g of protein, 6g of fibre and just 4g of sugar. It's also free from gluten, artificial colours and flavours for a better-for-you sweet treat. To learn more about the London, Ont.- based company, we spoke with Protein Candy co-founder and CEO Michael DeLorenzi. Q: For those who aren't familiar, can you share a bit about the brand Protein Candy? A: Protein Candy is the world's first 'super candy.' The brand was co-founded by serial entrepreneurs Michael DeLorenzi and Trevor Lenders, two leaders with a shared vision of making a better-for-you candy. Trevor, driven by a personal passion for fitness and formulation, spent years collaborating with food scientists to develop a high-protein treat that truly tasted like candy. What sets Protein Candy apart is its exceptional protein content, offering up to 100 times more protein than traditional candies available in the market. With no artificial sweeteners, Protein Candy is sweetened with monk fruit juice and stevia and uses natural flavours and colours in all products. It's a treat you don't have to 'earn,' just enjoy on the way to reaching your goals. Q: What inspired you and Trevor to create a protein-powered candy? A: The idea for Protein Candy started nearly four years ago when Trevor was trying to balance his love for candy with a commitment to fitness. While there were better-for-you candy options, none offered nutritional value that actually supported fitness goals. Protein bars and snacks were the closest alternative — but they often tasted chalky, were full of sugar or artificial ingredients and lacked the chewy, fruity experience he craved. When Trevor approached [me], he was looking for a partner to bring Protein Candy to market. With Trevor leading product development and me shaping the commercial strategy, we combined our strengths to disrupt the 'better-for-you' aisle. What: Protein Candy Tropical Fruit, 12 Bags Price: $72 Where to buy: Protein Candy | Natura Market | Q: What is your favourite flavour and why? Is it the same among consumers? A: My favourite flavour is tropical . I love the flavours in that pack, specifically Mango and Pina Colada! 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PETAL SANTÉ AND VITR.AI JOIN FORCES TO IMPROVE THE PRIMARY CARE PATIENT EXPERIENCE ACROSS CANADA Français
MONTRÉAL, June 5, 2025 /CNW/ - Petal Santé, a leader in real-time care orchestration systems, and a specialist in AI-powered patient–provider matching, are pleased to announce a new partnership that brings together their complementary expertise to enhance the patient journey within Canada's primary care network. Through this strategic collaboration, the two companies aim to offer a joint solution that simplifies patient intake and reduces pressure on the healthcare system by improving the relevance and efficiency of every medical and paramedical appointment. The goal is simple: a patient should be able to express their health concern in plain language, be guided to the most appropriate healthcare professional based on their symptoms, and—within a few clicks—be offered a range of appointment options nearby, all based on real-time availability. The result: a clear, seamless, and simplified experience for the patient. This new solution leverages latest advances in natural language processing (NLP) to identify the patient's health issue based on the keywords they use. Petal Santé's technology then facilitates real-time appointment booking with the appropriate healthcare provider. The integration of Petal Santé's and platforms is now complete and ready to be rolled-out in healthcare jurisdictions across Canada. "This collaboration goes beyond simply combining technologies . It's rooted in a shared vision and a common ambition: to improve access to primary care nationwide through smart, integrated solutions that are patient-centred and grounded in the realities of today's healthcare system," said Patrice Gilbert, CEO of Petal Santé. "In recent years, several provinces have invested in what are known as 'digital front doors'. Too often, these have led to fragmented care—or no care at all. What Canadians need is simple: timely, relevant care delivered by the team that knows them best, no matter which 'door' they use to enter the system. And that's exactly what this partnership makes possible," explained Alexandre Chagnon, Managing Director at The partnership between Petal Santé and was announced at the 2025 Première Ligne en Santé [2025 Frontline Health Congress], taking place at the Palais des congrès in Montreal through June 6. The event brings together 120 organizations and over 1,700 participants to discuss the future of primary care in Canada.
a day ago
More than half of Canadians skipping health care such as dental, survey suggests
As the Canadian Dental Care Plan expands this week to include all eligible age groups, 35 per cent of Canadians report they've skipped or reduced dental visits, a new survey suggests. Dental care was the most commonly delayed health service, according to the survey released Tuesday. The Canadian digital insurance company PolicyMe carried out the online survey of 1,500 adults in partnership with the Angus Reid Institute from May 9-12. More than half of Canadians (56 per cent) said they're delaying health appointments due to costs, with some skipping appointments. They're skipping as a result of cost, said Andrew Ostro, CEO and co-founder of PolicyMe in Toronto. Young adults aged 18 to 34 were the most affected of respondents, according to the survey, with 66 per cent saying they were delaying health care compared with 58 per cent among those aged 35 to 54. WATCH | Canada's dental care coverage rolls out: Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? First phase of Canada's national dental care plan begins The first phase of the Canadian Dental Care Plan began on May 1, providing coverage to nearly two million seniors aged 70 and older. Dr. Paul Allison, a professor at McGill University's dental faculty, said since younger adults as a group tend to be healthier than older adults, health generally, as well as oral health care, may not be as high on their list of priorities as older adults. About 47 per cent of Canadians aged 55 or older in the survey said they also delayed health care. Cost of care Verlaj Bains, 27, of Toronto, can relate to the survey's findings. About 18 months ago, he started to have sensitivity in his lower teeth when drinking cold beverages. He had some dental coverage at the time and went for an assessment. They had to do the full tooth replacement and it would have been like $3,000, Bains said. I did not have that money. In Canada, employer coverage makes up the bulk of the way people are insured, Ostro said. About 60 per cent of all private dental care expenditures in 2015 originated from private insurance sources, while the rest was paid for out of pocket, according to the Canadian Dental Association (new window) . Out-of-pocket costs include co-pays where insurance companies pay from 50 per cent to 90 per cent, deductibles on the first few hundred dollars worth of services that patients need to cover and gaps in what companies reimburse, Ostro said. In terms of generations in the survey, 20 per cent of Gen Zers and 21 per cent of baby boomers said they're uninsured, suggesting that both instability early in careers as well as retirement gaps leave people unprotected, PolicyMe said. Among Canadians aged 55 and older, 21 per cent reported having no health or dental coverage. At the same time, Gen Z is aging out of parental plans and entering a workforce that often lacks traditional benefits. Dr. Carlos Quiñonez, a dental professor at Western University, said the increase in gig work could also be contributing to people stalling on seeking health care. We end up treating a lot of people that experience financial difficulties in accessing care, and that's why they come to dental schools to access low-cost care, said Quiñonez, who previously tapped into funding from another insurer, Green Shield Canada, to establish a free dental clinic (new window) at the University of Toronto. For Bains, cost is the main issue. The kinesiology student said he's definitely interested in the federal dental care plan, given his lingering sensitivity. There's no pain, but it could be worse, so I definitely need to get on it. Impact of the CDCP As of this week, all remaining adults in Canada aged 18 to 64 are eligible for public coverage through the national Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP), if they're not covered through another plan, such as employment or retiree benefits, a family member's or a provincial plan. The federal government said it expects the plan to make the cost of dental care more affordable for up to nine million Canadian residents, and four million have been approved so far. In the new survey, about 11 per cent of Canadians reported relying on the CDCP so far. There were a lot of people in the middle income groups who probably don't qualify for the CDCP, but still find it quite difficult to pay for dental care, Allison said. Beyond cost, there are also problems in terms of time and geographic access to dental care, Allison said. Criteria to qualify for CDCP include that you and your spouse/common-law-partner (if applicable) must have filed your tax returns in Canada and your adjusted family net income needs to be less than $90,000. More broadly in the survey, about 36 per cent of Canadians said they're concerned their employer-provided insurance coverage could be reduced or eliminated amid ongoing economic instability, with concern the highest in B.C. While 71 per cent of uninsured Canadians report cutting back on care, even 52 per cent of insured Canadians say they've delayed or missed appointments for financial reasons. Amina Zafar (new window) · CBC News
