A recent bill in Alberta is set to permit physicians to work in both private and public healthcare systems, but family doctors will not initially be included in the private system. The provincial government announced this decision on Monday alongside the introduction of Bill 11, known as the Health Statutes Amendment Act, in the Alberta legislature. The proposed law aims to establish a “dual practice system” as previously revealed by Premier Danielle Smith.
Chris Gallaway, executive director of Friends of Medicare, raised concerns about the exclusion of family physicians from the dual practice system. The bill also specifies that emergency medicine and surgeries for life-threatening conditions, such as cancer, will remain within the public healthcare system. The government assures that the measures outlined in the bill comply with the Canada Health Act.
Minister of hospital and surgical health services, Matt Jones, sees the dual system as a strategy to attract physicians to Alberta. He emphasized the importance of balancing private activities with public responsibilities to enhance physician recruitment and retention. The government plans to engage with healthcare providers to establish guidelines for the public-private system, considering requirements like performing a set number of publicly funded surgeries or a minimum tenure in the public system before transitioning to private practice.
Physicians practicing in both systems will be mandated to maintain separate records to avoid payment discrepancies by Alberta Health. Additionally, the legislation addresses food safety oversight, billing regulations, and health card renewal processes. Dr. Brian Wirzba, president of the Alberta Medical Association, expressed the need for detailed planning to prevent disruptions in public system access.
Gallaway criticized the bill for potentially creating a two-tiered healthcare system and questioned the lack of public consultation on such significant changes. He suggested utilizing public operating rooms efficiently and developing a comprehensive healthcare workforce plan to address staffing needs across the system.