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Privatization

  • Government must take responsibility for lab privatization failure

    Earlier today, the Premier and Health Minister announced that Alberta’s community lab services will go back to being delivered by our public labs across the province, taking services back from DynaLIFE.


    EDMONTON - On December 1, following multiple delays, Alberta’s community medical laboratory services were formally transitioned from being publicly delivered by Alberta Precision Laboratories (APL), to being privately delivered by for-profit company, DynaLIFE. In the months since, people in communities across Alberta in need of blood work have continuously reported ongoing delays, or weeks-long waits

    Alyssa Pretty

    Written by Alyssa Pretty
    August 18, 2023

  • Premier must say no to allowing thousands of dollars in “membership fees” to access a family doctor

    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.

    Alyssa Pretty

    Written by Alyssa Pretty
    July 25, 2023

  • Health Minister Mandate Letter continues privatization agenda, ignores the real issues

    EDMONTON — Premier Smith’s mandate letter to our new Minister of Health was released today. It prioritizes ideological pet projects like the Premier’s promised health spending accounts, and pushes restructuring at Alberta Health Services as the solution to our health care challenges. Not meaningfully addressed are the staffing crisis facing our health care system, or the failures of the government’s privatization schemes to deliver as promised.

    Alyssa Pretty

    Written by Alyssa Pretty
    July 18, 2023

  • Health coalitions call on Prime Minister Trudeau to rein in privatization of health care by premiers

    Winnipeg (Treaty No. 1 Territory), July 10, 2023 - As Canada’s provincial and territorial premiers meet, Health Coalitions across Canada are calling on Prime Minister Trudeau to  demand an end to the privatization of public health care by premiers. 

    Alyssa Pretty

    Written by Alyssa Pretty
    July 10, 2023

  • Organizations Unite to Urge Canadian Blood Services Board to Reverse Pay-for-Plasma Contract

    CALGARY — Today representatives from health coalitions, unions, and public health care advocacy organizations across the country have come together to express their deep concerns regarding the decision of Canadian Blood Services (CBS) to enter into an exclusive 15-year contract with Grifols, a multinational pharmaceutical company. 

    This deal effectively privatizes the majority of plasma collection in Canada, as Grifols has taken over other private clinics and will be expanding quickly. The terms of this contract are secret, but what has been made public clearly violates the memorandum of understanding (MOU) that created CBS, and goes against the recommendations of the Krever Commission and World Health Organization guidance.

    Alyssa Pretty

    Written by Alyssa Pretty
    June 16, 2023

  • New Cabinet Needs to Take a New Approach to Health Care

    EDMONTON -- Earlier this morning, the new UCP cabinet was sworn in. Adriana LaGrange was named Minister of Health, Dan Williams as Minister of Mental Health and Addiction, and Jason Nixon as Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services.

    All of these ministers are new to their portfolios. Both former UCP Ministers of Health lost their seats in the election. The same is true for both past Ministers responsible for seniors, who had been failing seniors in care as per recent Auditor General reports, as well as past Ministers responsible for mental health and addictions, including the government’s failing abstinence-only approach to the drug poisoning crisis. 

    Alyssa Pretty

    Written by Alyssa Pretty
    June 09, 2023

  • Danielle Smith’s Reelection is a Chance for a Government Reset on Public Health Care

    Last night, following a hotly contested election in which health care dominated the agenda, Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party was reelected to a much slimmer majority government.

    “Friends of Medicare would like to congratulate and thank all those who took an active role in our democracy by letting their names stand for election,” said Chris Gallaway, executive director of Friends of Medicare. “Our province is made better by this exercise in democratic debate.” 

    Alyssa Pretty

    Written by Alyssa Pretty
    May 30, 2023

  • DynaLIFE continues to fight its own workers as privatized labs struggle to provide lab services

    Friends of Medicare stands in solidarity with laboratory workers in their fight for fairness


    This morning, Alberta’s medical laboratory workers called on DynaLIFE to return to the bargaining table, and to commit to fairness. Lab workers provide incredibly important services to Albertans, essential for timely diagnostics and treatment. Yet once again, just like when DynaLIFE tried to take away their pension plan, this private company’s profits are being prioritized at the expense of working conditions, public oversight, and patient care. All while Alberta is facing a chronic short-staffing crisis throughout our health care system.

    Alyssa Pretty

    Written by Alyssa Pretty
    April 20, 2023

  • Fact Check: UCP’s health care privatization actions speak louder than words

    EDMONTON – At a campaign stop this morning, UCP Leader Danielle Smith made a “Public Health Guarantee” to Albertans as we head into the provincial election. As Albertans will no doubt recall, this is the exact same campaign tactic former UCP leader Jason Kenney used before proceeding to privatize large portions of the Alberta health care system once in power.

    Alyssa Pretty

    Written by Alyssa Pretty
    April 11, 2023

  • Supreme Court Decision on Cambie Case is Great News for Public Medicare

    Friends of Medicare's statement on today's Supreme Court decision


    EDMONTON – This morning, public health advocates across the country were heartened to learn that the Supreme Court of Canada has dismissed Dr. Brian Day and Cambie Surgeries Corporation’s attempt to overturn previous decisions made by BC’s courts, a conclusive decision to uphold Canadians’ rights to public health care based on need, not the ability to pay.

    Alyssa Pretty

    Written by Alyssa Pretty
    April 06, 2023

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