Alberta premier floats $1,900 health care fee for temporary residents ahead of October referendum
Danielle Smith told the Calgary Chamber of Commerce the potential charge mirrors UK premiums as Albertans prepare to vote on the measure October 19.
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Premier Danielle Smith is floating a potential $1,900 annual fee for temporary residents seeking access to Alberta's public health care system, using UK charges as a comparison point ahead of an October 19 referendum on the controversial proposal.
Smith made the comments Tuesday at a fireside chat with Calgary Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Deborah Yedlin. "I gave you the idea of what we're looking at ... $1,900 per person," Smith said. She cited international examples: UK temporary workers pay a premium of about $1,450 per year for health care access, while visa and immigration applicants over 18 pay about $1,950 annually.
Albertans will vote October 19 on a referendum question asking whether to charge certain non-permanent residents a "reasonable fee or premium" for access to Alberta health care and education systems. The UCP government says legislation will be developed if the vote passes.
Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi called Smith "out of touch" and argued the fee distracts from the UCP government's "failure with the health care system." He pointed out the math doesn't hold: "Her math doesn't make sense either because, let's remember, the temporary workers pay taxes. So if [Smith] says that every temporary worker, who pays the same taxes as every other Albertan, is sucking out money from the health care system, guess what? That means every Albertan is sucking money out of the health care system."
Yedlin, after the chat, cautioned that the fee could add to businesses' recruitment challenges. "That's an extra cost on the worker or the business. And to be honest, that adds to the cost structure that businesses are already dealing with as they have [faced rising supply chain costs], energy prices, etcetera," she told reporters. She noted the impact would vary by sector: low-skilled workers earn less and would struggle more with the cost, while employers in thin-margin industries like hospitality may need to absorb the fee to remain competitive.
Smith countered that the question hinges on whether the fee would "make or break your business." For low-skill positions, she suggested the province wants those jobs to go to youth employment. For high-skill workers, she said, "if that's a make or break, I don't know ... I'd need to have to be persuaded of that."
How would the $1,900 fee be enforced, and what happens if a temporary resident cannot pay?
Has the province modeled the cost per temporary resident it expects to serve, and how does that compare to the projected revenue?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
When is Alberta's health care fee referendum?
Albertans will vote on October 19, 2026, on whether to charge certain non-permanent residents a fee for access to Alberta's health care and education systems.
What fee is Premier Smith proposing for temporary residents?
Premier Danielle Smith is floating a potential $1,900 annual fee per person for temporary residents seeking access to Alberta's public health care system.
How do the proposed Alberta fees compare to UK charges?
UK temporary workers pay about $1,450 per year for health care access, while visa and immigration applicants over 18 pay about $1,950 annually—close to the $1,900 Alberta fee Smith cited as a comparison.
