Federal health minister raises concerns as Alberta's dual-practice model launches in September

Alberta's new dual-practice health model is set to launch this September, but Canada's federal health minister has flagged concerns about how it aligns with national healthcare principles.

Under Alberta's Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 (No. 2), passed in the legislature late last year, some physicians will be permitted to provide care in both the private and public health-care systems. The provincial government has argued the move could ease strain on Alberta's already-stretched public system.

On July 24, federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel sent a letter to Alberta asking the province to protect its public health system. "As the guardian of the Canada Health Act, our focus is to protect the integrity of the public health-care system and ensure that all Canadians, including every Albertan, can receive health care based on medical need, not on their ability to pay for it," her press secretary Alexandre Bergeron said Monday.

Alberta Hospital and Surgical Health Services Minister Adriana LaGrange pushed back, saying healthcare delivery falls outside federal jurisdiction. "Dual practice does not violate the Canada Health Act," she said. "The act does not prohibit private practice outside the publicly insured system. Albertans who choose to pay privately for eligible elective surgery should be able to do so here at home, rather than travelling out of province as they have done for decades."

Health policy experts say the tension between the two governments is likely to intensify. Steven Lewis, a Vancouver-based health policy expert, warned that drawing physicians away from the public system could compromise access for those who rely on it. "Taking some portion of practice out of the public system and reserving it for some people who are paying extra pretty much has to compromise access in the public system," he said.

To qualify for dual practice, Alberta physicians will be required to work a minimum number of hours in the public system, though the exact threshold has not been publicly specified. Michel's office said it will continue working closely with Alberta on the matter.