PIPSC is eager to begin the long awaited review of the Public Service Dental Plan (PDSP) in collaboration with our National Joint Council (NJC) partners. This endeavour reflects our ongoing dedication to the well-being and satisfaction of our members.
Our NJC partners’ Dental Plan covers most workers in the federal public service. But, it has not been reviewed since 2018. It requires important updates to secure its value to members.
Health benefits are not negotiable under the Treasury Board’s interpretation of federal public section labour legislation. However, the Government has adopted a collaborative approach to reviewing the benefit plans. We continue to call on Minister Fortier to issue a mandate to review the PSDP. We are hoping to enter into a plan review this year.
Most members of the Core Public Administration and members at separate agencies are covered by the PSDP. The NJC dental plan is reviewed concurrently with the identical, but separate, PSAC dental plan (which only covers PSAC members).
The NJC Dental Plan union representatives believe changes to the plan are needed to:
- reflect the increased cost of dental services and include advances in preventative dental care
- ensure the plan can meet the needs of members in difficult life situations and remain competitive in comparison to other major dental plans
- adequately protect members from unneeded treatment
- extend coverage to certain conditions (i.e. provide care for bruxism)
PIPSC is proud to participate in collaborative efforts with the government through the NJC and our plan sponsor. We recognize the important role that good oral health plays in overall well-being, and the significance of comprehensive coverage for our members.
We know our members expect evidence-based plan enhancements that maximize plan value and member health. This includes improving preventative care and expanding treatments for plan members with certain challenging health conditions.
We also appreciate the impact that recent inflation has had on Canadian's pocketbooks. We know that dental services continue to rise along with the cost of living.
By pooling our expertise and resources, we can explore new opportunities and strategies to improve the PSDP for our members. This approach enables us to leverage the collective knowledge and insights of our organizations, producing a more comprehensive and robust dental benefits package.
If you have new suggestions for changes to the plan beyond coverage rates and caps, we invite you to email pensionsbenefits@pipsc.ca with your specific suggestions.