RECOMMENDATION 1: EFFECTIVE AND ACCOUNTABLE ORAL HEALTH STRATEGY
The Committee recommends that Health Canada:
| (a) | Undertake a new approach to oral health based on a wellness model that gives priority to promotion and prevention strategies; |
| (b) | Develop and implement an oral health strategy with measurable goals that will investigate alternative delivery systems aimed at improving oral health and access to services; |
| (c) | Initiate results-based incentives for all participants, clients and providers, to increase access to and positive outcomes from prevention measures; and, |
| (d) | Increase the ability to monitor oral health trends to ascertain if the resource allocations are effective and the program is accountable. |
RECOMMENDATION 2: COLLABORATION WITH FIRST NATIONS AND INUIT CLIENTS
The Committee recommends that Health Canada work with First Nations and Inuit clients to:
| (a) | Improve public education and awareness of oral health as a key element of overall well-being; |
| (b) | Build oral health links into existing programs with a health education and promotion focus such as the First Nations Headstart On-reserve and the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program; |
| (c) | Assist communities in monitoring and reporting on oral health initiatives; |
| (d) | Initiate community-directed and results-based incentives for preventive oral health, including such elements as community recognition campaigns and dental hygiene or dentistry scholarships; |
| (e) | Communicate the availability of necessary preventive (and restorative) measures for every child and adult; and, |
| (f) | Develop more creative and culturally appropriate models for delivering preventive (and restorative) care. |
RECOMMENDATION 3: IMPROVED ACCESS TO COMPREHENSIVE DENTAL CARE
The Committee recommends that Health Canada:
| (a) | Outside of the pre-established amount for services provided without prior approval, establish and promote a regular prevention plan for every First Nation and Inuit client under 25 years of age to allow on a routine annual basis a prescribed number of preventive interventions such as dental cleanings and sealants, fluoridation; instruction and education sessions, etc.; |
| (b) | Increase the pre-established amount for services provided without prior approval to $1,000 while continuing to monitor for appropriateness of services provided; |
| (c) | Permit and facilitate a more independent role for dental hygienists; for example, allow them to bill directly up to a predetermined amount of $200 per client annually; and, |
| (d) | Adhere to the same standards and frequency limitations as those established with dental insurance plans for other Canadians and inform clients that the approach and limitations are applicable to other populations. |
RECOMMENDATION 4: IMPROVED ACCESS TO DENTAL CARE PROVIDERS
The Committee recommends that Health Canada:
| (a) | Work closely with relevant universities and colleges on appropriate measures, including directed scholarships, aimed at increasing the number of First Nations and Inuit dentists and dental hygienists; |
| (b) | Ensure that the medical transportation policy facilitates and enables access to dental treatment; and, |
| (c) | Reduce the administrative burden for providers while ensuring accountability. |
RECOMMENDATION 5: CLIENT CONSENT
The Committee recommends that Health Canada:
| (a) | Introduce another option of a one-time client consent for each of the separate benefits categories; |
| (b) | Restrict and clarify the permission for use of information acquired with consent; specify who will have access to client information and clearly state that no one else will; |
| (c) | Adhere to the same standards as dental insurance consent forms for other Canadians and ensure that clients are aware that the approach is applied to other populations; |
| (d) | Extend the deadline for introducing the new consent beyond 1 September 2003; |
| (e) | Indicate clearly to clients and providers that access to program benefits is still available even if the blanket consent form is not signed; |
| (f) | Invest in appropriate promotion of the consent initiative through improved communication with First Nations and Inuit people on a community-by-community basis about the rationale for and uses of any client consent form; and, |
| (g) | Ensure that the client consent form is available in all necessary languages and dialects. |