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.

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.

EDMONTON — During today’s Question Period—the first since the Alberta Legislative Assembly returned from last week’s constituency break—the Minister of Mental Health and Addiction, Rick Wilson, was directly asked to apologize for misleading the Legislature, and to tell Albertans what he actually saw happen during a recent visit to a Supervised Consumption Site. But rather than answer the questions posed to him, he instead resorted to reading out recycled Recovery Alberta talking points, and used his time to rail against medical evidence and life-saving harm reduction services.

EDMONTON — During Question Period in the Alberta Legislature on Tuesday, Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services Matt Jones made the following statement in response to a question:

We’re looking at developing a voucher program where patients who have waited longer than clinically recommended can go to any approved or accredited provider in Alberta and get that surgery.

EDMONTON — This afternoon, the UCP government tabled Bill 29, Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2026. If passed, this legislation will implement a promise the government previously announced in October, permitting Albertans to pay privately for diagnostic services without a referral.

EDMONTON — This morning, Friends of Medicare released an interim report titled, “Filling the Gap: Examining the Downloading of Health Care Costs onto Alberta Municipalities.” The report examines the often overlooked role that Alberta municipalities are increasingly playing in ensuring access to health care services in their communities.

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: