Alberta has introduced legislation that would allow surgeons to offer both publicly funded and privately paid procedures, a shift the government says is aimed at reducing wait times and increasing physician flexibility.
Bill 11, the Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 (No. 2), was tabled Monday and would permit eligible specialists to alternate between public and private surgical work without leaving the provincial health system.
Surgical Services Minister Matt Jones said the measure would keep patients from seeking paid procedures out of province and help Alberta compete for health-care workers. The bill does not set limits on private fees for procedures such as hip, knee, or cataract surgeries, but the government says regulations will add “guardrails” to protect the public system.
Potential requirements may include minimum public-sector practice hours or restrictions on specialties facing workforce shortages. Cancer surgeries, emergency surgeries, and all family medicine services would remain fully public. Private facilities would be barred from charging patients for publicly insured urgent or cancer care.
Primary Health Minister Adriana LaGrange said about 14 physicians in Alberta are currently opted out of the public system. The new dual-practice framework would allow them to move between sectors without the current 18-month administrative process. Family physicians, however, will not be eligible under the initial rollout.
Critics, including the Alberta Medical Association (AMA), say implementation details will determine whether the policy protects access in the public system. AMA president Dr. Brian Wirzba cautioned that reforms should not worsen existing gaps. “We know the current system is leaving people behind,” he said, emphasizing the need for a careful rollout.
Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi argued the proposal will shorten wait times only for those able to pay privately and could lengthen waits for everyone else unless Alberta significantly expands its surgical workforce. The government maintains the model reflects European, not U.S., health-care practices.
The bill also proposes changes to prescription drug coverage. Private and employer-sponsored plans would become the first payer for medication costs, with the provincial plan covering the remainder. LaGrange said public coverage would remain a safety net for the roughly 24 per cent of Albertans without additional insurance. The province estimates annual savings of $35 million to $54 million. The NDP warns the shift will lead to higher premiums for individuals paying into private plans.
Additional measures in the bill would prevent employers from terminating benefit coverage based solely on age and would allow Albertans to add their personal health number to driver’s licences and ID cards starting next year.
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