The federal government has extended the Pensioners’ Dental Service Plan transition date to Nov. 1, 2024.
In June 2023, the government announced the contract for the Pensioners’ Dental Service Plan (PDSP) and the Public Service Dental Care Plan (PSDCP) was awarded to Canada Life. At the time of the announcement, the PDSP transition date was July 1, 2024. However, in the fall, references to the July 1 transition were quietly removed. Instead, the announcement referred to an unspecified transition period.
In a recent update, the government has extended the PDSP transition date to Nov. 1, 2024. The statement now reads, “[f]ollowing a transition period, Canada Life will begin administering the plans under the new ASO contract Nov. 1, 2024.”
Until Canada Life’s administration begins on Nov. 1, 2024, members must continue to send all claims to Sun Life.
Plan members can prepare for the new contract with Canada Life by ensuring their contact information is accurate with the current plan administrator, Sun Life.
Many members faced problems with positive enrolment and transition of the Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP) to Canada Life. It was not seamless as was promised.
The Association has shared what we have heard from members about the PSHCP transition with government representatives and the president of the Treasury Board. Federal Retirees expects the government and Canada Life to leverage lessons learned to ensure this transition goes smoothly for all members.
The government has committed to this longer transition period, and the Association expects sufficient call centre capacity and resourcing for paper-based communications by Canada Life to support members with this transition.
Refer to the government announcement and FAQ for more information.