Alberta’s Bill 11, which legislates two-tier health care and private health insurance for medically necessary services, means the end of Canadian medicare as we know it and the beginning of U.S.-style health care in Canada.

Alberta legislation opens the door to U.S. health care, senior researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA), Andrew Longhurst, and research manager at the Parkland Institute at the University of Alberta, Rebecca Graff-McRae, find that Bill 11 creates a private insurance market for publicly insured care, which violates the Canada Health Act.

The report was jointly produced by Parkland Institute and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).

Bill 11 creates a private insurance market for publicly insured care and degrades the public system.

By encouraging doctors to focus on privately paid work, they’ll be incentivized to spend less time in the public system.

That will increase public health care wait times and increase public health system costs.

Hospitals will be encouraged to compete for revenue from user fees and private health insurance.

The intent of hospital insurance legislation in every province — and the Canada Health Act — is to prevent physicians and facilities from charging patients for health care. Alberta is undoing that.

Bill 11 threatens public health care in other provinces — including Ontario as the largest market — if the private health insurance market grows and other provinces introduce similar two-tier legislation.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is already signalling that it will follow Alberta’s lead with Bill 11.

“This bill will wreak havoc on Alberta’s public health system at a time when doctors are pleading for stability and resources,” warns Graff-McRae.

“With Bill 11, we won’t have U.S.-style health care, but actual U.S. health care,” explains Longhurst.

“This means for-profit health care for medically necessary care that’s covered under the Canada Health Act. And it means opening the door to U.S. investors and American corporate control of Canada’s health care at a crucial geopolitical moment when Canada needs its elbows up.”

Rita Espeschit
Parkland Institute