EDMONTON — With the recent passing of Bill 29 in the spring session permitting private-pay diagnostic services without referral, TELUS Health hasn’t wasted any time capitalizing on their chance to charge Albertans directly out-of-pocket for diagnostic testing. A promotional email sent on June 15 advertises “Total Body MRIs Starting at $2995,” available at their TELUS Health SKY Clinic in Calgary. This is just one of many products on offer at TELUS Health Care Centres in Alberta.

EDMONTON — Earlier this month, Albertans learned that the provincial government would be transferring more than 400 Public Health Inspectors, Researchers, Health Promotion Facilitators and support staff out of Alberta Health Services, where they operate at arms length, into direct government employment. Inspectors and their colleagues are responsible for ensuring that spaces like child-care centres, rental housing, and continuing-care facilities are safe from infection and disease.

EDMONTON — This morning, Minister Adriana LaGrange announced regulations to Bill 11: Health Statutes Amendment Act 2025 (No.2), passed last December. This sweeping, 300-page legislation established an unprecedented model of two-tiered health care access in Alberta by allowing physicians to work in both the public and private systems concurrently, including charging patients out of pocket. No where else in Canada allows this model of “Dual Practice,” and legal opinion already indicates that Bill 11 is in violation of the Canada Health Act.

EDMONTON — This afternoon, Premier Danielle Smith and Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services, Adriana LaGrange announced that the first phase of an Activity-Based Funding (ABF) model for “high-volume” surgeries has now been implemented in 12 Alberta hospitals.

EDMONTON — The first full week of June each year is Alberta Seniors’ Week. It is a chance for Albertans to show appreciation for Alberta’s seniors and all that they contribute to our province. Friends of Medicare is marking this Seniors’ Week by continuing to call for properly funded home care and for the Alberta government to stop their attacks on Continuing Care.

DRAYTON VALLEY — Community members from the Drayton Valley region have come together to launch the newest regional chapter of Friends of Medicare. This follows a recent town hall hosted by Friends of Medicare in Drayton Valley, where residents voiced their experiences with Alberta’s health care and concerns about local access to care services, and determined it timely to get involved in advocating to protect and strengthen public health care in the Drayton Valley and surrounding Brazeau County communities.

No matter where you live, or who you are, you and your family deserve timely access to quality public health care — when and where you need it. 

That's why Friends of Medicare and well-known public health care advocate, Dr. Paul Parks are touring the province to hear from Albertans on what we are experiencing in our health care system, and to discuss what changes could make our lives and our health better. 

EDMONTON — On Friday heading into the long weekend, the provincial government revealed their plans for a comprehensive rebrand of our Emergency Health Services, now to be known as “ALTA Paramedic Health.” No specific costing for the rebranding was provided.

The law creates a two-tier health care system for Albertans, and undermines Canada’s universal public system