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Opinion: How long will Ottawa let Alberta test the limits of medicare?

Imagine two Albertans need the same surgery. One can pay thousands out of pocket. The other cannot. Under the law Canada has operated by since 1984, both wait in the same line because medical need, not money, determines who gets treated first. Under Alberta’s new Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 (No. 2), that is no longer guaranteed.

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Alberta’s law formally allows physicians to bill some patients directly, case by case, for medically necessary care, while billing the public system for the same care provided to other patients. This........

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