The Decibel The controversial push to expand private health care in Alberta
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Nov 24, 2025 Carrie Tait, a reporter from The Globe's Calgary bureau, discusses Alberta's groundbreaking draft legislation allowing doctors to practice in both public and private systems. She reveals how this could potentially create a two-tiered healthcare model and its implications for patient access. Carrie explains the proposed categorization of doctors and the rationale behind the change—reducing wait times and retaining healthcare workers. Concerns about compliance with the Canada Health Act and the reaction from Ottawa are also highlighted, making for a thought-provoking conversation.
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Three-Tier Doctor Model
- Alberta's draft would allow three doctor categories: public-only, private-only, or a flexible dual-practice option.
- This flexible option is unique in Canada and lets physicians toggle between public and private care.
Removing Private-Practice Risk
- The flexible option removes the financial risk doctors faced when choosing private practice exclusively.
- Removing that risk could let the private market grow because physicians can test demand without abandoning public work.
Watch For Guardrails In Regulations
- The government can impose guardrails like minimum public-service requirements for dual-practice doctors.
- Watch for the final legislation and regulations to see what limits Alberta enforces to protect public capacity.