Other provinces should follow Alberta’s lead in embracing dual practice in healthcare
Toronto, ON: The Consumer Choice Center is calling on other Canadian provinces to follow Alberta’s lead, with the province today announcing its first steps in implementing a dual practice healthcare model. The Smith government is allowing surgeons to practice in both the public and private systems, provided they contribute a set amount of hours to the public system.
Jay Goldberg, the CCC’s North American Affairs Manager, commented on the announcement.
“Today’s announcement is great news for Albertans and other provincial governments should follow Alberta’s lead. As the Smith government continues to argue, allowing for a dual practice healthcare model when it comes to surgeries will ensure that more surgeries are performed and that waiting times for patients are reduced. That’s exactly what patients want. The Smith government is moving Alberta’s approach to healthcare closer to the approach of most European nations that have universal healthcare systems, and the naysayers who claim that this is American-style healthcare are simply wrong. All patients will continue to be served, but surgical backlogs will be reduced. This is precisely the approach taken in countries like Germany, Sweden, and Australia, and it’s high time for Canada to embrace reform in its healthcare system. Premier Danielle Smtih deserves credit for taking the lead on this file,” said Goldberg.