EDMONTON — The first full week of June each year marks 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 the return of an independent Seniors’ Advocate, for properly funded home care, for Alberta to get on board with universal Pharmacare, and for the Alberta government to stop their attacks on Continuing Care.

OTTAWA — Passing and implementing Bill C-64: An Act Respecting Pharmacare, will lay the groundwork for the most significant expansion to our public health care system since the creation of national Medicare over fifty years ago. The legislation sets up a framework for universal, single-payer, first-dollar drug coverage for all Canadians, beginning with coverage of contraceptives and diabetes medication and equipment. 

EDMONTON — This afternoon, Danielle Smith’s government tabled Bill 22: The Health Statutes Amendment Act, following through on their previous announcement that they would be massively restructuring public health care in Alberta. None of this was part of their election platform in last year’s provincial election.

EDMONTON — Every year on April 28, we gather to recognize the National Day of Mourning. This year, Friends of Medicare’s executive director, Chris Gallaway, will be hosting the Day of Mourning ceremony in Edmonton.

EDMONTON — Today, news broke that a provincial audit has found more than 40 medical clinics advertising membership fees for access to health care. Previous reports from the Parkland Institute and Ontario Health Coalition have shown this is a recurring problem in Alberta that has long gone unaddressed.

This afternoon, the federal government tabled their 2024-2025 budget. Included is funding for the continued expansion of national dental care coverage, and crucial funding for the roll out of universal, single-payer Pharmacare — both key commitments in the Confidence and Supply Agreement between the NDP and the Liberals.

EDMONTON - This afternoon, Health Minister Adriana LaGrange announced two new contracts with private partners to provide interfacility transfer services, with work underway to further expand this privatization initiative across the province. These services are currently publicly provided.

EDMONTON — This afternoon, the Minister of Mental Health and Addiction announced they are tabling Bill 17, a piece of legislation that establishes the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence (CoRE), an entity designed to be directly aligned with the goals and priorities of the Government of Alberta.

EDMONTON — A new report released by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) shows that the UCP’s privatization of Alberta’s surgical services have failed to deliver on promises to reduce wait times. This follows a previous report from the Parkland Institute, which showed that the Alberta Surgical Initiative has actually made things worse.

CALGARY — This morning in Calgary, Friends of Medicare stood alongside Mike Parker, President of the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA), in calling on the provincial government to release up-to-date data and broaden its approach to addiction care beyond their one-size-fits-all model.