Administrative barriers to care of government-funded orthodontic coverage for Indigenous youth in Canada ...

• Main Author: Cross, Tyra J
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2022
• Subjects: First Nations
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0417282; https://doi.library.ubc.ca/10.14288/1.0417282

Objectives: The European colonization of Canada has resulted in generations of oppression and transgenerational trauma for Indigenous people. The long-term consequences of colonization include well-documented worse health outcomes, including poorer oral health and increased severity and occurrence of malocclusion for Indigenous people. The Canadian government has treaty obligations to provide medical coverage to Indigenous people. Through the Canadian government’s Non-Insured Health Benefits program (or the First Nations Health Authority in British Columbia), tier-three medical benefits are covered, including dental treatments and orthodontics. However, the criteria for being approved for orthodontic coverage under this program are extremely stringent and require a complicated pre- determination process. The purpose is to evaluate the extent to which the predetermination process is a barrier to Indigenous youth in Canada obtaining government funding for orthodontic treatment. Methods: Interviews were ...