EDMONTON — This past Friday, the provincial government announced that they were shutting down the long-COVID outpatient programs, meaning that the clinics in Alberta dedicated to treating people suffering from long-COVID will be closing. The letter from Alberta Health Services informing patients of the closure suggests that they should contact their primary care provider to determine if they require additional resources. This at a time when over 650,000 Albertans are without a family doctor.

EDMONTON — Earlier this year, the government informed the Airdrie Health Foundation that the long-overdue expansion and renovation of the Airdrie Community Health Centre had been paused in order for them to consider a proposal to add a private partner to the public facility. Following much outcry from Albertans, the government announced the public project was back under way.

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.

EDMONTON — Yesterday afternoon, the UCP Government used their majority in the Legislature to vote against Bill 201: Alberta Health Care Insurance (Access Fees) Amendment Act. This legislation would have banned access fees and membership-only health care in Alberta, and required the Minister to enforce the Act.

This afternoon, Gurinder Brar, MLA for Calgary North East, tabled Bill 201: the Alberta Health Care Insurance (Access Fees) Amendment Act. If passed, this legislation would ban access fees and membership-only health care, and require the Minister to enforce the Act.

A Calgary clinic recently informed patients they are moving to a costly membership system for primary care. Since it is illegal in Canada to bill directly for a visit to a family doctor, membership fees such as these are designed as a loophole to get around the rules and principles contained in the Canadian Health Act.

Today, Health Minister Jason Copping held a press conference to announce the UCP government’s “Modernizing Alberta’s Primary Health Care System” (MAPS) plan, with the help of three new advisory panels with a mandate to report back with recommendations in Spring 2023. 

“After months of ignoring calls for urgent action on an urgent situation, the government has announced three impending panels, without all of the chairs picked, let alone other panel members in place,” said Chris Gallaway, executive director of Friends of Medicare. “Rather than announcing ever more advisory panels, the government should be fulfilling its responsibility to provide quality, timely health care to Albertans.”

On July 30, 2020, Friends of Medicare hosted an online discussion about the recently passed Bill 30 and it's impacts on both patients and health care workers. FOM's executive director Sandra Azocar, along with panelists Dr. Jillian Ratti and Dr. Lorian Hardcastle, sat down to explore the contents of Bill 30, discuss the ways that it opens the door to the privatization of our public health care, and answer questions from concerned Albertans.