Alberta plans to allow surgeons and other surgery professionals to perform elective surgeries in both the public and private health care systems so Albertans get the care they need in a timely manner, according to Premier Danielle Smith.
Those surgeries include knee, hip, eye, shoulder and other elective surgeries.
On Wednesday, the premier posted on social media that a Dual Practice Surgical Model will increase the number of surgeries, decrease wait times, and no Albertan will need to pay out-of-pocket to see their family doctor or receive a medically necessary treatment.
"Surgeons who elect to be part of this dual practice model must commit to performing a minimal amount, or ratio, of publicly funded surgeries each year to qualify," said Smith in an online video.
"So instead of a surgeon being limited to performing say a thousand surgeries a year due to health system funding restraints, that doctor could also perform an additional 200 or 300 more surgeries for patients who can afford to pay for the cost themselves, or that have an employer insurance plan that covers the cost."
"They will be able to have their surgery in the off hours and come off the public wait list at no extra cost to taxpayers. That means everyone on the public wait list moves up in the queue so that they also get their publicly insured surgery done quicker than they otherwise would," Smith said.
Primary and Preventative Health Minister Adriana LaGrange, and Red Deer North MLA, posted that safeguards will protect hospital capacity and fairness.
"Limits on private practice will ensure the public system stays strong, while this change helps attract and retain more physicians in Alberta," LaGrange said.
Dr. Brian Wirzba, Alberta Medical Association (AMA) president, said health care reform should be evidence-based, transparent and developed through meaningful engagement with those most affected, including doctors and patients.
"Quick fixes or poorly designed policies risk destabilizing the system and creating unintended consequences," Wirzba said in a statement.
The AMA said dual practice must also include clear conflict-of-interest principles, measures to prevent public subsidization of private services and an adequate health workforce for the publicly funded system for highly complex and emergent care. Medically necessary services provided through the publicly funded health care system must also be prioritized when it comes to resource allocation, and access to care should be based primarily on need, not the ability to pay.
"Albertans deserve a health care system that is sustainable, equitable and designed with transparency and accountability at its core," Wirzba said.
Friends of Medicare said these changes would make Alberta the only jurisdiction in Canada to allow doctors to work in both systems at once, and would bring two-tier health care to Alberta.
"This is an unprecedented attack on Albertans' public health care, and if allowed to pass, would unequivocally bulldoze a path for American-style health care in Alberta. It's hard to see how this wouldn't contravene the Canada Health Act," said Chris Gallaway, executive director of Friends of Medicare.
He said the UCP government has constantly sought new ways to funnel public health care dollars into private profits which has already led to higher costs, longer waits and chronic understaffing.
"Albertans know our health care is in crisis. But the only 'solution' this government ever offers is more and more privatization in our labs, surgeries, seniors care, and most recently, hospitals," said Gallaway.
Friends of Medicare urged Albertans to speak out against the government's plan by contacting UCP MLAs, and joining Friends of Medicare and AMA past president Dr. Paul Parks at public health care townhall meetings. The meeting in Red Deer is on Nov. 23.