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

At today’s press conference, Friends of Medicare’s executive director, Chris Gallaway said the following:

“In light of two tragic deaths of individuals who sold their blood plasma at Grifols collection centres, and serious ongoing safety concerns at for-profit centres which have been found non-compliant with regulations—including here in Calgary—why are these sites allowed to continue operating, and profiting from the buying and selling of Canadians’ plasma? We have public solutions to collect blood and plasma safely and voluntarily, we don’t need to be continuing down this for-profit road. It’s time to put public safety first and bring plasma collection back under our public system.”

Friends of Medicare's joint press release with the Canadian Health Coalition, the Ontario Health Coalition, and the Manitoba Health Coalition is below:

EDMONTON — Health Canada has confirmed to CBC News that two people died after giving blood plasma at pay-for-plasma collection centres run by Grifols in Winnipeg — one in October of 2025, and another in January of this year. This follows news that another Winnipeg man is suing over mechanical equipment failure that caused serious kidney injury after his plasma was withdrawn at a Grifols-owned Canadian Plasma Resources location.

EDMONTON — More than 30 Albertans are heading to Ottawa this week to participate in the Canadian Health Coalition’s annual Parliament Hill lobby for public health care, including Friends of Medicare staff, board members and over two dozen front-line health care workers from all across Alberta.

EDMONTON - Later this afternoon, Prime Minister Mark Carney will meet with Alberta Premier Daneille Smith, before hosting all of the Premiers in Ottawa for a First Ministers’ dinner this evening and a meeting to discuss the Canada-US-Mexico-Agreement (CUSMA) trade talks tomorrow.

EDMONTON — In an open letter to the Prime Minister and Health Minister, Health Coalitions representing over three million Canadians call on the federal government to intervene in the face of two-tier Medicare being brought in by Alberta's Bill 11.

Defenders of universal public health care are calling upon the federal government to uphold the Canada Health Act.

Below you can read a copy of the open letter.

Le français suit.

EDMONTON — Today the Final Report of the National Pharmacare Committee of Experts was tabled in Parliament. The committee was struck by the federal government in November 2024 as mandated by BIll C-64: An Act Respecting Pharmacare, and was tasked with making recommendations for the government’s implementation of the next stages of the national public drug plan.

Friends of Medicare's executive director Chris Gallaway made the following statement:

EDMONTON — Speaking at a press conference in Edmonton late last week, Prime Minister Mark Carney said that new bilateral agreements with remaining provinces and territories would be finalized “as quickly and equitably as possible.” These comments follow months of uncertainty as to the future of national Pharmacare, as result of multiple remarks from the Prime Minister and Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel refusing to commit to the continued implementation of the program—including as recently as last week.

EDMONTON – With the federal Liberal caucus meeting for their pre-session retreat in Edmonton this week, Friends of Medicare is joining the Canadian Health Coalition and allies from Alberta and across Canada for a rally to call on the Federal Government to keep their promise to implement and expand a national Pharmacare plan.

The historic passing of Bill C-64: An Act Respecting Pharmacare last October brought us closer than we’ve ever been to achieving universal drug coverage in Canada, with a preliminary plan for universal coverage of contraceptives and diabetes medication and devices. Since then, bilateral agreements have been signed by the federal government with Manitoba, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, and Yukon, to get coverage for diabetes and contraceptive medications under way. Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories have all been mentioned as potentially being next in line.