Alberta's provincial government will launch a dual-practice health-care model allowing physicians to provide privately paid elective surgeries while working in the public system.
The shift represents a significant change to the province's medical delivery system. By allowing doctors to operate in both sectors, the government aims to reduce the burden on public facilities and provide more options for patients.
The program is scheduled to begin in September 2024 [1]. Under this new framework, doctors can apply to offer elective procedures for a fee, though they must maintain their roles within the publicly funded system. This hybrid approach is designed to target elective surgeries, which often have the longest wait times in the provincial queue.
Government officials said the option to pay for care will help alleviate long wait times for patients [2]. They said that increasing the capacity for surgeries through private payment will move patients through the system more efficiently.
Critics of the plan have expressed concerns regarding the lack of clarity in the model's implementation. Some observers said the details remain unclear and could cause unforeseen problems within the existing public health infrastructure [2]. There are concerns that such a system could lead to a two-tiered health care environment where access to timely surgery depends on a patient's ability to pay.
Despite these objections, the province is moving forward with the September 2024 [1] start date. The government has not yet released the full set of guidelines for how physicians will apply for the dual-practice status, or how the balance between public and private workloads will be monitored.
“Alberta will launch a "dual practice" health‑care model that lets physicians apply to provide privately‑paid elective surgeries.”
This policy shift introduces a hybrid funding model into Alberta's healthcare system. By permitting doctors to accept private payment for elective procedures, the province is attempting to use private capital to reduce public waitlists. However, the move tests the boundaries of Canada's commitment to a single-payer system and may create a precedent for further privatization of surgical services.
