STATEMENT - Alberta's private health proposal will leave more Albertans waiting longer for care: CMA

OTTAWA, ON, Nov. 18, 2025 /CNW/ - Doctors across Canada are deeply concerned that the Alberta government's proposed private care plan will leave more Albertans waiting even longer to access health care.

The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) is disappointed that the Alberta government isn't embracing known solutions to make sure every Albertan has access to the care they need. Instead, it plans to create a parallel private system where more people will wait longer, with many paying twice for health care, once through taxes and a second time with their credit card.

Doctors, nurses and others on the frontlines of health care know what the solutions are: training and licensing more health professionals, implementing team-based care, and taking advantage of technology.

The CMA recently spent a year studying Canada's mix of public and private health models, consulting with more than 10,000 physicians, patients and health care providers. The evidence from around the world is clear: where a parallel private health system operates, both health outcomes and access to care are worse. Canadians were also clear in their resounding support where every Canadian has access to a publicly funded health care system.

Quebec's limited experience with private health care provides a cautionary tale. As more physicians leave Quebec's public system to offer private care, patients are left waiting longer. The result is that Quebec now requires that new doctors work in the public system for five years before they are allowed to practise in a private setting. Alberta's private care plans may similarly weaken an already challenged public health system.

We call on the Alberta government to reconsider their proposal to expand private health care and to work with physicians, nurses and other health providers to create meaningful, sustainable solutions to improving access to care for all Albertans.

Dr. Margot Burnell
CMA President

About the CMA
The Canadian Medical Association leads a national movement with physicians who believe in a better future of health. Our ambition is a sustainable, accessible health system where patients are partners, a culture of medicine that elevates equity, diversity and wellbeing, and supportive communities where everyone has the chance to be healthy. We drive change through advocacy, giving and knowledge sharing – guided by values of collaboration and inclusion.

SOURCE Canadian Medical Association

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