Alberta bill allows doctors to toggle between public and private pay for surgeries

The UCP government has tabled a bill in the Alberta legislature that would open the door for surgeons to charge patients for privately-delivered procedures while keeping a foot in the public system and billing taxpayers.

Premier Danielle Smith’s government previously suggested family doctors would be eligible, but they’re not included in the proposed legislation.

Surgical Services Minister Matt Jones says Bill 11, the Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 (No. 2), is about attracting doctors by offering flexibility, reducing wait times, and giving Albertans the option to pay for procedures without travelling out of province.

He says it would also help recruit and retain health workers in Alberta, countering criticism it will siphon professionals from the public system.

The bill doesn’t cap private surgical costs for procedures like hip, knee or cataract surgeries, but the government has promised guardrails to protect public health care.

That may include requiring a minimum amount of practice in the public system from doctors before they can offer out-of-pocket private surgeries, or restricting some specialties to public practice if shortages emerge.

The province said dual practice exists in New Brunswick and Quebec and is widely used in countries such as Denmark, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Australia.

— More to come…

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