Canadian Politics Thread

[RupertKBD]

21 minutes ago, JoeyJoeJoeJr. Shabadoo said:

Don't most people who work or go to school full time have a dental plan from their employer regardless of income? 

 

I can't speak for most people, but I had coverage in my last two jobs, but it didn't cover everything.

 

In my previous job, my coverage was 80% for the usual stuff, like cleaning and fillings, but only 50% for things like crowns and bridges, which is what I needed at the time. Faced with the prospect of coming up with a few grand to pay for it, I went without. (This was back before I was above the 90k level)

[RupertKBD]

4 minutes ago, JoeyJoeJoeJr. Shabadoo said:

I remember, back in the day, it was tough to get full time work at major retailers as after a certain amount of hours they had to pay extended medical and dental. For that reason they made sure the majority of their workers were under that amount to avoid the extra expense. 

 

I play in a band with a guy who is a lifer with Save-On....several years ago, they tried to buy out all the full time employees, with the goal of having a few salaried managers and a whole flock of part timers stocking shelves and running the cash registers.

 

My buddy turned down the buyout and is now nearing retirement with full pension, etc, but he's one of the few.

[The Arrogant Worms]

6 minutes ago, RupertKBD said:

 

I can't speak for most people, but I had coverage in my last two jobs, but it didn't cover everything.

 

In my previous job, my coverage was 80% for the usual stuff, like cleaning and fillings, but only 50% for things like crowns and bridges, which is what I needed at the time. Faced with the prospect of coming up with a few grand to pay for it, I went without. (This was back before I was above the 90k level)

Most benefits only cover a certain % and only so much a year or every 2 years (like glasses.)

 

I had to get a couple crowns and 2 implants years ago and the cost was astronomical on top of what was paid for by benefits.

[aGENT]

2 hours ago, Elias Pettersson said:

 

The housing crisis isn’t caused by interest rate hikes either. It’s caused by terrible government policies over the last 30 years, from the municipal, provincial and federal levels.  If our supply met our demand we wouldn’t have a housing crisis, prices would remain low so interest rates wouldn’t be such a huge issue.  The reason interest rates are such a huge issue is because of the size of the mortgages due to the insane prices of homes.  If those prices were cut in half the mortgages would also be cut in half.  So it’s a vicious cycle that we can’t really get out of anymore unfortunately.  

 

No, interest rates on those houses and the mortgages/rents for them, are causing inflation. The housing crisis is a seperate (but related) issue.

 

It's literally our biggest single driver of inflation at the moment. Higher interest on existing variable/renewed mortgages. 

[RupertKBD]

8 minutes ago, The Arrogant Worms said:

Most benefits only cover a certain % and only so much a year or every 2 years (like glasses.)

 

I had to get a couple crowns and 2 implants years ago and the cost was astronomical on top of what was paid for by benefits.

 

Yeah, that was my situation as well, however i couldn't afford the work, so I didn't get it done. Now I chew my food "strategically".....

[aGENT]

2 hours ago, RupertKBD said:

I'm gonna have to back up Petey on this one, though.....there won't be too many families whose median income is under 90k......but IMO that's a good thing. We should prioritize lower income families.

 

I say this as someone who's fallen through the cracks myself. I could have really used this back in the day, but my dental plan sucked and I could not afford the work I needed. Now I'm above that 90k line, but it's too late to get the work done.

 

 

54 minutes ago, JoeyJoeJoeJr. Shabadoo said:

Don't most people who work or go to school full time have a dental plan from their employer regardless of income? 

 

Was going to say, that a good percentage of those people at $90k+ likely have some sort of employer dental coverage.

 

My wife and I used to make ~$85k combined living in the lower mainland and survived. Granted she wasn't working lol.

[Elias Pettersson]

1 hour ago, King Heffy said:

Since you're working with the average family, let me remind you that the average Canadian family has fewer than two children.

 

Families with 2 kids need 3 bedrooms and at least two parking.  Not alot of condos out there that provide that.  That's why the government is trying to add to the middle housing.  Multi family units, townhouses, duplex, etc.  This is what we need.  Should have happened 20 years ago...

[4petesake]

1 hour ago, Elias Pettersson said:

 

It's a good thing for people whose household income is less than $90k.  It's a bad thing for people who's household income is more than that.  I am sure people will say they don't care because people whose household income is over $100k are considered "rich".  But I can guarantee you that those people also need help.

 

The national dental plan is a start, but I don't think it's enough to move the needle when it comes to changing votes for an election...

 

Thanks.
For myself I don’t really care if it changes votes, I’m just happy that people most in need will get some help because as the plan sits now it won’t even be as good a you are suggesting. There will still be a copay element for some under the $90k limit and won’t be available to anyone with access to an employer insurance plan. As you say it’s a start and maybe it can be expanded in the future.

 

The CDCP will reimburse a percentage of eligible expenses, depending on applicants' income level, with the remainder being a copay with the patient. For example:

•  Canadians with an adjusted annual family net income of less than $70,000 will have no copayment;
•  Canadians with an adjusted annual family net income between $70,000 and $79,999 will have a 40 per cent copayment; and
•  Canadians with an adjusted annual family net income between $80,000 and $89,999 will have a 60 per cent copayment.

[The Arrogant Worms]

I must say it is nice to discuss issues and opinions without people getting into name calling.  Very few places are like this one.  I respect everyone's opinions even when I disagree with them.

 

Very refreshing.

[Tusk]

10 minutes ago, Elias Pettersson said:

 

Families with 2 kids need 3 bedrooms and at least two parking.  Not alot of condos out there that provide that.  That's why the government is trying to add to the middle housing.  Multi family units, townhouses, duplex, etc.  This is what we need.  Should have happened 20 years ago...

For me, 15 years ago, the only option was to move to New Brunswick. Now, the kids have moved out, I have no need for parking in the city, Bus pass less than half what I paid for insurance.

Vancouver needs more Condos, but affordable ones like you see in Singapore. Small acre sized buildings that can accommodate but not owned by foreign nationals who would rather them be empty than sell for 150K.

[Elias Pettersson]

So, according to this article, the total household income must be under $70,000 to receive the full benefits.  If you hit $71,000, you need to pay between 40% to 60% out of pocket.  This makes a big difference...

 

Don't call it insurance: What dentists want you to know about the federal dental plan (msn.com)

 

Don't call it insurance: What dentists want you to know about the federal dental plan

 

OTTAWA — The federal government's newly unveiled vision of what it bills as a comprehensive suite of dental benefits looks a lot like typical insurance coverage, right down to the ID card patients would hand over at the dentist's office. 

 

But industry advocates say the new program isn't the same as the insurance coverage Canadians typically get from their employers — and patients need to be crystal clear about some important differences. 

 

"I just don't want people thinking it's a free program," said Dr. Brock Nicolucci, president of the Ontario Dental Association.

 

"We don't have any of the details yet, and if people start giving up their dental insurance that they worked hard for … I would be very upset for people."

 

The federal program is set to start accepting enrolment applications this month from qualifying seniors over the age of 87. Enrolment eligibility will slowly expand over the course of the next year to include all seniors, children under the age of 18 and people with disabilities. 

 

The program was developed at the behest of the NDP as part of a political agreement to secure the opposition party's support for the government on key votes. 

The plan is intended for low- and middle-income people who don't already have access to insurance.

 

"This isn't an insurance plan," Nicolucci said. "This is a benefit that the government is providing to the Canadians that unfortunately don't have access to care."

 

There's a chance seniors could opt to stop paying for private insurance in favour of the government program instead, said Dr. Carlos Quiñonez, vice-dean and director of the school of dentistry at Western University in London, Ont.

 

"I wouldn't call it a concern, but there is a real issue," Quiñonez said in an interview. 

 

A 2022 Statistics Canada survey found 32.5 per cent of seniors had private dental insurance, which they either pay for themselves or get through an employer. Quiñonez said that represents a fairly small portion of the third-party insurance market, and often the private coverage isn't as robust as employer programs.

 

Nicolucci said he hopes people don't abandon their personal coverage in search of government-funded care, at least until the parameters of the new program become more clear. 

 

The plan will allow patients with an annual household income less than $70,000 to avoid paying for dental services, while those making between $70,000 and $90,000 would shoulder between 40 and 60 per cent of the costs.

 

The cost to patients isn't yet clear, as dentists haven't yet seen the complete list of benefits that will be covered or how much the government plans to pay for each service. 

 

The basket of services will closely reflect the federal health benefits program for registered First Nations and Inuit people, Health Canada officials said in a briefing provided Monday on the condition they not be named.

 

That program, called the Non-Insured Health Benefits program, has some distinct differences from an employer insurance program in terms of the eligibility criteria and administrative burden for oral health-care providers and patients.

 

With a plan provided by an employer, the benefits patients qualify for are usually fairly clearly defined, said Dr. Aaron Burry, CEO of the Canadian Dental Association. 

That may not be the case with the new government program.

 

"There is often a lot more administrative work and there can be more delays in terms of getting the approvals to actually say, 'Yes, this is worth it, we are going to be willing to pay for it,'" Burry said, adding that the need for pre-approvals is common in government plans. 

 

Some dentists have avoided patients who are part of the existing program for fear of the avalanche of paperwork it requires, said British Columbia Dental Association president Dr. Robert Wolanski.

 

That can create "dental deserts" for enrolled patients who can't find a care provider.

 

Health Canada officials say they've learned from that experience, and Health Minister Mark Holland said Monday that getting oral-health care providers on board is key.

 

"I think we've been having very productive conversations on that basis and so I'm extraordinarily optimistic that there is going to be very strong uptake," Holland said. 

 

Dentists don't yet know how patients' experiences will differ when they arrive for their appointment because those details haven't yet been released by the federal government.

 

But Wolanski said it's important for people to remember that unlike a private insurance program, people will have to requalify for the coverage every year. 

 

"In order to qualify, you have to meet certain criteria in terms of your income, right? That doesn't exist in private insurance," said Wolanski, a dentist from Nanaimo, B.C.

Under the new government program, patients' eligibility and costs can shift year to year depending on their income. 

 

Burry urged seniors and others who already have dental coverage to hold onto it until they have more information about the potential trade-offs. 

 

The details of the program are expected to be fleshed out before May 2024, when the first cohort of plan members are expected to start being able to claim dental services through the government plan. 

[Tusk]

15 minutes ago, 4petesake said:

 

Thanks.
For myself I don’t really care if it changes votes, I’m just happy that people most in need will get some help because as the plan sits now it won’t even be as good a you are suggesting. There will still be a copay element for some under the $90k limit and won’t be available to anyone with access to an employer insurance plan. As you say it’s a start and maybe it can be expanded in the future.

 

The CDCP will reimburse a percentage of eligible expenses, depending on applicants' income level, with the remainder being a copay with the patient. For example:

•  Canadians with an adjusted annual family net income of less than $70,000 will have no copayment;
•  Canadians with an adjusted annual family net income between $70,000 and $79,999 will have a 40 per cent copayment; and
•  Canadians with an adjusted annual family net income between $80,000 and $89,999 will have a 60 per cent copayment.

Can anyone actually live in the lower mainland with a combined income lower than 90K?

[Tusk]

2 minutes ago, Tusk said:

Can anyone actually live in the lower mainland with a combined income lower than 90K?

Asking for a friend, who is actually single with half that amount, wanting to move home to Canucks land

[Elias Pettersson]

48 minutes ago, aGENT said:

 

No, interest rates on those houses and the mortgages/rents for them, are causing inflation. The housing crisis is a seperate (but related) issue.

 

It's literally our biggest single driver of inflation at the moment. Higher interest on existing variable/renewed mortgages. 

 

Again, interest rate increases are not a "cause" of inflation.  They are an effect because of other things that have happened.  Monetary policy is usually reactive, unlike fiscal policy.  Raising interest rates is a reaction to other events that have taken place.

 

Rents have nothing to do with interest rates.  It's all about supply and demand.  If a Landlord can get an extra $500 in rent on their condo, then they will do it.  The cause of rent increases isn't inflation, it's because of a mass immigration policy that was initiated by the federal government, as well as a huge shortage of inventory, which is a municipal and provincial government issue primarily.

 

Like I said earlier, people must be getting used to paying more for food and other essential items.  If you are walking out of Whole Foods with a small bag of food that cost you over $100, then IMO inflation is still a huge problem.  Prices have not come down, which is what is supposed to be happening.

[Elias Pettersson]

4 minutes ago, Tusk said:

Can anyone actually live in the lower mainland with a combined income lower than 90K?

 

Well, for Vancouver specifically you need to break it all down.  If your combined income is $90k, then your after-tax income is roughly 75% of that, or $67k.  Your rent would be around $3k per month, so $36,000 per year.  That's already over 50% of your net income.  Then you have to add food, gas, hydro bill, tv, internet, bathroom essentials, insurance.  You are probably looking at around $2k to $3k a month for all of that, if you basically don't eat out and you stay home for date night.  So that's another up to $36k per year.  At this point you are above your $67k in net income, so what is going to happen is you are eventually going to use your visa and mastercard to pay for thigs, and then use your line of credit.  Before you know it, you will be $20-30k in the hole and you will be calling Sands and Associates.

 

So, I would say it may be possible, but you will be only surviving and not actually living...

[Tusk]

5 minutes ago, Elias Pettersson said:

 

Well, for Vancouver specifically you need to break it all down.  If your combined income is $90k, then your after-tax income is roughly 75% of that, or $67k.  Your rent would be around $3k per month, so $36,000 per year.  That's already over 50% of your net income.  Then you have to add food, gas, hydro bill, tv, internet, bathroom essentials, insurance.  You are probably looking at around $2k to $3k a month for all of that, if you basically don't eat out and you stay home for date night.  So that's another up to $36k per year.  At this point you are above your $67k in net income, so what is going to happen is you are eventually going to use your visa and mastercard to pay for thigs, and then use your line of credit.  Before you know it, you will be $20-30k in the hole and you will be calling Sands and Associates.

 

So, I would say it may be possible, but you will be only surviving and not actually living...

So.... I better fight like hell to keep my Lease here in NB at $1300 for a 2bdrm condo..... Thanks man! I just wish there were more east coast games.

[Elias Pettersson]

Just now, Tusk said:

So.... I better fight like hell to keep my Lease here in NB at $1300 for a 2bdrm condo..... Thanks man! I just wish there were more east coast games.

 

$1300 for a 2 bedroom?  You better not break that lease!!!   

[Johngould21]

1 hour ago, RupertKBD said:

 

I play in a band with a guy who is a lifer with Save-On....several years ago, they tried to buy out all the full time employees, with the goal of having a few salaried managers and a whole flock of part timers stocking shelves and running the cash registers.

 

My buddy turned down the buyout and is now nearing retirement with full pension, etc, but he's one of the few.

The grocery industry used to be one of the highest paying jobs in the Province. I retired after 33 years of Super Valu and Safeway just over 15 years ago. The guy who replaced me was making at the time just under $13 per hour. Believe me they're still trying to "push" the full time employees out, but on their terms not the employee. If I want to retire I'm going when I want, not when they say I can, because they haven't trained enough people to do the job properly. The pension is decent, as a few of the latest contracts had the employers contributing to the workers pension fund.

[aGENT]

28 minutes ago, Elias Pettersson said:

 

Again, interest rate increases are not a "cause" of inflation.  They are an effect because of other things that have happened.  Monetary policy is usually reactive, unlike fiscal policy.  Raising interest rates is a reaction to other events that have taken place.

 

Rents have nothing to do with interest rates.  It's all about supply and demand.  If a Landlord can get an extra $500 in rent on their condo, then they will do it.  The cause of rent increases isn't inflation, it's because of a mass immigration policy that was initiated by the federal government, as well as a huge shortage of inventory, which is a municipal and provincial government issue primarily.

 

Like I said earlier, people must be getting used to paying more for food and other essential items.  If you are walking out of Whole Foods with a small bag of food that cost you over $100, then IMO inflation is still a huge problem.  Prices have not come down, which is what is supposed to be happening.

 

Yes, they are. The costs of people's mortgages going up (inflating for those playing at home) either on variable or renewing at new, higher interest rates, is currently our largest, single inflation driver. In fact if you take mortgage debt out of the inflationary picture, we're already below the BOC's target inflation rate. 

 

Rents have nothing to do with interests rates?!  If my rental property mortgage costs go up due to higher interest rates, who do you think bares that burden? It's not just supply and demand that controls rental pricing. People don't rent property to lose money.

 

Who said prices came down? That's not how inflation works or is defined. Inflation is the continuing increase in costs/pricing. Costs don't have to go down for inflation to have effectively "stopped". Never mind that my original comment clearly pointed out that profiteering by the "Big Grocery" monopolies is still an issue (and not a government one).

Edited December 14, 2023 by aGENT

[The Arrogant Worms]

15 minutes ago, Tusk said:

So.... I better fight like hell to keep my Lease here in NB at $1300 for a 2bdrm condo..... Thanks man! I just wish there were more east coast games.

My son is paying almost double that for a 1 bedroom condo in Victoria.  And Vancouver is even more expensive.

[King Heffy]

3 minutes ago, aGENT said:

Who said prices came down? That's not how inflation works or is defined. Inflation is the continuing increase in costs/pricing. Costs don't have to go down for inflation to have effectively "stopped". Never mind that my original comment clearly pointed out that profiteering by the "Big Grocery" monopolies is still an issue (and not a government one).

What's needed is government regulation and enforcement against price gouging.  Make the fine larger than the profit due to the corporate greed and make prison time for the senior execs a requirement for violations.

[Tusk]

1 minute ago, The Arrogant Worms said:

My son is paying almost double that for a 1 bedroom condo in Victoria.  And Vancouver is even more expensive.

Here in atlantic canada I still know my landlord. Like, the actual guy who owns the buildings, is paying the taxes, and is running the place. I wonder if anyone in Vancouver can say that eh?

[King Heffy]

2 minutes ago, Tusk said:

Here in atlantic canada I still know my landlord. Like, the actual guy who owns the buildings, is paying the taxes, and is running the place. I wonder if anyone in Vancouver can say that eh?

Personally I prefer dealing with a professional company.  Less likely to have something completely illegal attempted.

[UnkNuk]

Regardless of how many people there are in Vancouver making $90,000 a year or less, the new dental plan could, apparently, still help a lot of people:

 

Canada's new dental care plan could impact nearly 9 million Canadians — are you one of them?

 

The federal government unveiled details about its highly anticipated Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) earlier on Monday. 

 

The CDCP is a $13-billion insurance program that will start covering most basic dentistry costs next year for uninsured Canadians with a household income under $90,000.

 

That's about nine million Canadians, according to the federal government. In its current form, the plan is expected to cost the federal treasury about $4.4 billion per year.

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canada-dental-care-plan-benefit-1.7055975

[Tusk]

10 minutes ago, King Heffy said:

Personally I prefer dealing with a professional company.  Less likely to have something completely illegal attempted.

Yeah but your professional company is just a provider for some guy in China who demands your rent goes up by the max every year, and if you move the next person is paying %50 more than you

I mean maybe not China, but geez, for sure no canadian owns your place if you have a management company you answer to.