Frequently Asked Questions

Learn more about potential changes to the Professional Liability Program.

What has RCDSO decided about PLP?

At the December 2023 meeting, Council directed staff to proceed with exploring the transfer of the Professional Liability Program (including current liabilities and staff) to a third party, with the goal of allowing the program to continue to operate, under separate ownership.

Council asked staff to begin the procurement process under the guidance of a Procurement Review Group. An external mergers and acquisitions advisor, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has been retained.

Council deliberations are viewable on the RCDSO YouTube channel.

On September 15^th, 2025, the RCDSO announced that Navacord, one of Canada’s largest and fastest growing multi-line insurance brokerages, will become the owner/operator of the RCDSO’s PLP as of January 1, 2026. Jones DesLauriers, a broker partner of Navacord, has been the brokerage on record for the primary PLP policy and the excess insurance coverage since 2017. Navacord is the current broker for liability insurance for dentists in Alberta.

Is PLP still accepting new claims?

Yes, it is business as usual for PLP and there have been no changes made to the operation of the program. Stability for both patients and dentists will be maintained throughout the transition process. New and existing PLP cases will continue to be handled in the usual manner.

Current registrants have coverage via the program until the end of 2025. When registrants pay their fees in fall of 2025, professional liability coverage will continue with Navacord (with Jones DesLauriers as the broker) for the entire 2026 calendar year. In 2027 and 2028, continued coverage will be provided by Navacord and Jones DesLauriers as part of the registration and annual renewal process.

Dentists should continue to contact PLP directly for advice or assistance with potential, new or existing claims online at plp.rcdso.org or info@plpservices.org.

What was the College looking for in a new provider?

Expectations, with input from Ontario dentists, of the new provider included:

Maintain minimum coverage of $2 million, as required by the RCDSO.
Set the same fee level for all licenced dentists.
Offer coverage in a group model for all dentists to whom the college grants a licence.
Keep lifetime tail coverage for dentists if they move to another jurisdiction to practice, when they retire, or if they pass away.
Integrate the PLP team into the new program.
Continue to support dentists beyond claims process: providing advice to de-escalate and manage difficult situations; drafting legal release documents that provide refunds properly; supporting and guiding dentists through a litigation process. Sustain current PLP policies with no unreasonable additional terms, conditions, or exclusions adverse to the profession or public.
Share data with the College to support trend analysis in the profession
Minimum liability limits, as determined by the RCDSO.

Navacord met each of these expectations and brought deep experience in the liability protection of dentists. Jones DesLauriers Insurance Management Inc. (JDIMI), a broker partner of Navacord, has been the brokerage on record for the primary PLP policy and the excess insurance coverage since 2017. Navacord is the current broker for liability insurance for dentists in Alberta.

Ontario dentists will benefit from a smooth transition process and three years of reasonable rates and comprehensive coverage.

How much are the fee increases?

The College’s PLP estimated fees have been frozen for the past three years, despite rising costs. Those fees were considerably under-market and the program itself was underfunded. The amount the new provider will require for professional liability protection will be higher, resulting in the need for an increase in the professional liability fee for 2026 from $1,000 to $1,400 plus fees.

The total liability cost will be $1,500, and those funds will be passed directly to Navacord.

These costs are competitive with other Canadian provinces. In 2026, the increase in liability costs will amount to $500 compared to 2025. Navacord plans to continue to offer reasonable rates and comprehensive coverage in the years to come.

Will Regulatory fees also increase in 2026?

No. Regulatory fees are frozen for 2026. According to College by-laws the fees are to increase by the rate of CPI annually. On September 18th, Council voted to suspend that increase for 2026.

Will there be a CPI increase for 2026?

No. Council waived the annual CPI increase (almost $55) at its September 18th meeting to help mitigate the costs of the liability increase.

What will happen at annual renewal with respect to payment of my fees?

Nothing will change. You will use the same process to renew for 2026, and your liability protection will continue to be offered through your registration. To support a stable transition, the College will collect the annual professional liability costs on behalf of Navacord for 2026.

I'm still paying my liability fee to the College during renewal. How does that money get to the new provider?

To ensure a smooth transition, the College will collect liability during the renewal process on behalf of Navacord. The College will transfer the entire amount to Navacord. The College does not keep any portion of the liability cost.

When would these changes become effective?

PLP continues to operate as a program of the RCDSO for the remainer of 2025. When registrants pay their fees in fall, professional liability coverage will continue for the entire 2026 calendar year, but the program will be operated by Navacord.

Navacord will assume operation of the PLP on January 1, 2026, but dentists will still be able to reach the same team for the same advice and service they have come to rely on.

Will I need to look for a new provider?

Registrants will not need to look for a new program, as Navacord will take on the existing program and dentists will continue to have seamless liability protection for the next three years. Once dentists have paid registration renewal fees in 2025 for 2026, they will have coverage in place for the calendar year.

What minimum limit will be required?

College by-laws have been drafted, to establish the requirement for minimum professional liability protection to ensure that the public is protected. A limit of $2 million per occurrence has been set, which is consistent with the coverage currently provided to Ontario dentists (the minimum aggregate limit is $6 million). The by-laws were presented to Council at the September 18th meeting and are being circulated for the required 60 days. Visit our consultations page to learn more.

The proposed changes are not in effect and do not impact current coverage. Dentists should continue to contact PLP directly for advice or assistance.

When would these changes become effective?

PLP continues to operate as a program of the RCDSO today. When registrants pay their fees in fall of 2025, professional liability coverage will continue for the entire 2026 calendar year, but the program will be operated by Navacord.

What happens to my coverage when I retire?

By direction of Council, and with advice from dentists, one of the expectations we laid out for the potential new provider is that they provide lifetime tail coverage for dentists if they move to another jurisdiction, when they retire or if they pass away. Navacord is including lifetime tail coverage in their comprehensive offering to the profession.

When will we hear more?

RCDSO reports regularly at Council meetings on the PLP divestment. We have regularly updated the public, registrants and system partners as we progressed. Our Practice Advisory team is prepared to answer questions. The RCDSO is planning to attend a number of ODA component society events this fall to help clarify any questions dentists may have. On November 26, the College will host a RCDSO Connect session where dentists can ask questions about the transition and its implications.

Have you consulted with the profession?

RCDSO has been communicating regularly with registrants and stakeholders through e-blasts, newsletters and Council Highlights. In November 2023, RCDSO sent a survey to the profession on what they consider the most important elements of the program. Over 1600 responses were received. A full report on the survey results was presented at Council in December 2023 and is posted on the website here.

What is happening with PLP?

The Professional Liability Program (PLP) has been providing assistance to Ontario dentists for over 50 years. During that time, numerous staff and Council members have been dedicated to the promotion of patient safety and responsible dentistry.

In 2022, the Audit Committee and the Finance, Property and Administration (FPA) Committee reviewed the PLP program, its history, legislation, financial structure and assessed other comparable programs in Canada. As a result, Council established a PLP Expert Review Task Force to do a thorough review of the PLP program, outline any risks and recommend options to mitigate these risks on or before the September 2023 Council meeting.

The Expert Review Task Force, composed of liability and regulatory experts (including former Council members) met from February to July of 2023 and developed a report for review by the (now) Finance, Audit and Risk (FAR) Committee. After that review, the report findings and FAR’s analysis were presented to Council on September 21st. There, Council unanimously agreed that the College should not continue to directly operate PLP as it is currently structured.

With Council’s direction, RCDSO staff developed an implementation plan, with deliverables and timelines and created a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis of four divestment approaches.

At the December 2023 meeting, after reviewing the options and key considerations, Council directed staff to proceed with the option of exploring the transfer of the Professional Liability Program (including current liabilities and staff) to a third party, with the goal of allowing the program to continue to operate, under separate ownership.

Council directed staff to begin a procurement process, guided by the proposed assumptions and key elements outlined, and under the guidance of a procurement review group. The procurement process resulted in the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) as advisors. The Procurement Review Group was formed in early 2024 and is met regularly.

On September 15th, the RCDSO announced that after an extensive and competitive process, RCDSO Council has approved the selection of Navacord as the new owners of the program due to their commitment to preserve the existing service excellence of the program via current PLP staff; their offer of full and comprehensive coverage for dentists; and their deep experience in the liability protection of Ontario dentists.

Navacord one of Canada’s largest and fastest growing multi-line insurance brokerages, will become the owner/operator of the RCDSO’s PLP as of January 1, 2026. Jones DesLauriers Insurance Management Inc. (JDIMI), a broker partner of Navacord, has been the brokerage on record for the primary PLP policy and the excess insurance coverage since 2017. Navacord is the current broker for liability insurance for dentists in Alberta.

Council is receiving regular progress reports on the divestment project.

Council deliberations are viewable on the RCDSO YouTube channel.

Why was the Task Force struck in the first place?

Several risks have been identified with PLP, foremost among them are reputational, regulatory and financial risks.

RCDSO is one of the few health regulatory Colleges in Canada that directly operates an in-house liability program.

Over the past several years, changing expectations of professional regulation and the RCDSO’s commitment to act in the public interest have caused RCDSO to consider the benefits, risks and appropriateness of this non-legislated program as an operational department of the College.

One of the College’s primary regulatory responsibilities is to hold dentists accountable for conduct and practice issues; PLP serves as the primary malpractice protection provider for those same dentists. While there is a firewall between PLP and our regulatory programs, this divergence in mandate and function is confusing to both the public and dentists and raises questions about how we can effectively serve both mandates.

The College is also expected to be a responsible steward of its financial resources in achieving its statutory objectives and regulatory mandate, and the direct operation of PLP has presented some challenges to the RCDSO’s financial position including the completion of an adequate non-PLP operating reserve.

What did the Task Force recommend?

The Task Force Report presented a number of options with benefits and risks to help Council determine the best option for RCDSO.

The Task Force identified three options:

Status Quo: RCDSO retains the current structure of PLP with minor modifications that could mitigate risk.
Subsidiary: RCDSO establishes a subsidiary corporation. This would create structural separation of mandate and finances, while RCDSO would retain ownership of the program.
Divest: RCDSO stops directly offering its liability protection program over time and moves to transfer, sell or end the program

The report provided Council with considerable information to help make this decision.

The program has been working well for 50 years, why change now?

There are a number of environmental changes, including public expectations that have changed since PLP was first established.

RCDSO is one of the few health regulatory Colleges in Canada that directly operates an in-house liability program.

PLP’s mission and function are distinct from the rest of the College’s, whose mandate is to “serve and protect the public interest.”

If an unexpected major financial event were to occur (one that exceeds the current reserve fund plus the $20 million available in reinsurance), the RCDSO would be required to draw from its regulatory reserves or to impose a fee to the profession.

What are coverage limits for 2026?

Navacord is offering comprehensive coverage of $2M per occurrence with an annual aggregate cap of $6M per dentist. PLP records indicate that no dentist has ever come close to either threshold in a given year. Coverage is competitive with offerings in the rest of Canada and additional increased limits coverage will be available, as it has in previous years, through Jones DesLauriers at reasonable rates or through other providers. Learn more.

Did you consult dentists?

Yes. In 2023, almost 1,600 dentists responded to our survey about their priorities for the PLP program. Their advice helped to shape the requirements we set out for potential providers. The report is available here.

From July to September, 2025, dentists had an opportunity to provide comment on the fee increase as noted in a change to the fee by-law. We heard from the ODA who outlined concerns about the impact of the fee increase. This response was provided to Council and posted on our website here. We have also provided additional information below to provide greater transparency about the PLP reserve and College's finances here.

Why are liability costs increasing?

Since the process of exploring divestment began, it was clear that the Professional Liability Program was underfunded and the estimated annual cost ($1000) was well below current market rates. Across the country, where liability is provided through a third party, the annual cost is between $1,677 and $2,097, plus applicable taxes. Regulatory fees line up across the country—$2,170 is below the mid-point.

Why can’t the College absorb the fee increase?

The Finance Audit and Risk committee considered this option and given that the total liability need for 2025 is still unknown, it could put the requirements to provide regulation to the profession at risk. The College ran deficits from 2018-2022 related to PLP pay outs. Covering the increase would be a one-time event that would again put the College in a deficit. The liability of the program had also been historically underfunded, according to a 2023 actuarial evaluation (also see Review of the RCDSO’s Professional Liability Program).

The College did freeze its regulatory fees for 2026 and Council decided not to implement the usual cost of living increase on regulatory fees. In future years, once PLP is fully divested and costs stabilize, the College will explore its regulatory fees.

How much is the College receiving for this program?

It is too early to say what the net proceeds will be. There are several factors that will affect the net proceeds of the sale, including the unknown cost of claims that could emerge in 2025, unknown liabilities associated with the "back book”, and other deal uncertainties. It is expected that the College will net out with a reserve fund that will provide it with the financial certainty needed to manage these risks. Elements of the transaction will be disclosed in future years as they are realized and finalized.

When will you disclose more about the financial elements of the deal?

Material elements of the financial implications for the College will be reported to Council in June of 2026 and be reported in the 2025 Annual Report and in subsequent reports, as required.

Why did you choose Navacord and not a non-profit?

The bidding process was competitive and the College is confident that we have selected the best owner/operator for the PLP.

The College, guided by Council and the profession, set out eight divestment objectives and Navacord met them all.

Maintain minimum coverage of $2M
Same fee for all licensed dentists in Ontario
Maintain lifetime tail coverage
Integrate current PLP employees into the new program
Keep support services (guidance, education) beyond the claims process
Offer coverage in a group model for all Ontario dentists
Materially accept the current PLP policy wording
Data-sharing with the College post transaction to support trend analysis in the profession

I have further questions about PLP changes, who can I contact?

For general information, please contact the RCDSO’s Practice Advisory Service at practiceadvisory@rcdso.org or call 416-961-6555 or toll-free 1-800-565-4591.