'We Are Listening' to Albertans' Concerns About Bill 11, Says Federal Health Ministry
Marjorie Michel said the model could clash with the Canada Health Act as Alberta requires doctors to keep minimum public hours.
- Health Minister Marjorie Michel sent a letter to Alberta on July 24, expressing concerns that the province's upcoming dual-practice model for physicians could violate the Canada Health Act.
- Late last year, Alberta passed the Health Statutes Amendment Act, also known as Bill 11, allowing physicians to perform both public and private surgeries to reduce wait times.
- Critics, including Alberta Union president Sandra Azocar, argued that private pathways divert essential resources from the public system, potentially lengthening wait times for Albertans relying on universal care.
- Asserting provincial jurisdiction, Premier Danielle Smith defended the policy, while federal officials confirmed they are actively working to mitigate potential adverse impacts on the public system.
- The federal government previously withheld more than $13.7 million from Alberta in 2023 for similar Canada Health Act violations, a precedent relevant as the model launches in September.
7 Articles
7 Articles
Alberta Premier Calls on Ottawa to Respect Province’s Dual-Practice Health Care System
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the federal government should respect the province’s jurisdiction over health care, after the federal health minister raised concerns about the legality of Alberta’s upcoming dual-practice health-care expansion. “Let me be clear: the administration and delivery of health care is an area of provincial jurisdiction, not federal,” Smith said in a post on X on Aug. 19. “We expect the federal government to respect …
Red Deer Advocate
'We are listening' to Albertans' concerns about Bill 11, says federal health ministry
Public health care supporters are frustrated that federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel has failed to clearly denounce Alberta’s Bill 11 with only days left before the Sept. 1 launch of what critics call two-tier health care that takes resources away from the public system. Under Bill 11, the Health Statutes Amendment Act, some physicians will be allowed to perform both publicly funded and privately paid surgeries so Albertans who have the mon…
Ottawa is concerned that the new Alberta health model may weaken access to care.
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