Canadians wait in emergency rooms, endure months‑long surgery queues, and sit on family‑doctor lists. Despite being among the world’s biggest health‑care spenders, Canada underperforms peers on access and equity.
Alberta’s Mixed Practice Bill
Alberta’s Bill 11 now permits doctors to practice in both the public and private sectors. The mixed‑practice model aims to expand capacity without building new facilities.
More physicians working extra hours boost total capacity, delivering more appointments and procedures. Idle operating rooms and diagnostic equipment can be used more efficiently. Higher earnings and professional autonomy make the profession attractive for recruitment and retention.
Opponents brand the change as “American‑style” health care, but the label does nothing for patients facing delayed or denied care. The current system already fails to guarantee universal access.
Countries such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Germany and Sweden have long allowed physicians to blend public and private practice. These systems guarantee universal coverage while outperforming Canada on key metrics. Germany requires a minimum share of public‑patient hours, France recoups private fees for public facility use, and the UK gives scheduling priority to publicly insured patients.
If eligibility rules are too narrow, service requirements too rigid, or revenue sharing overly punitive, Alberta could choke mixed practice with red tape. Careful design is essential to unlock capacity gains.
Canada’s stable institutions, experienced regulators and decades of European experience give it a strong footing to implement the model successfully. The approach aligns with evidence rather than ideology.
Combined with duplicate private insurance, activity‑based hospital funding and expanded private infrastructure, mixed practice can further unlock capacity. Alberta can lead a long‑overdue renewal of a cherished Canadian institution.
Reforming health care is not a betrayal of Canadian values; it is how we uphold them. If Alberta succeeds, the rest of Canada may follow.
