Alberta’s Dual-Practice Surgeon Plan | Vancouver News

Alberta’s Health Minister Adriana LaGrange is launching a bold new plan this fall letting some surgeons split their time between public and private care—performing publicly funded surgeries while also offering elective procedures like hip or cataract surgeries for extra pay. The goal? Keep more surgeries in the province, reduce travel, and ease wait times. But Ottawa’s not thrilled—the federal government says this could violate the Canada Health Act and has warned of penalties beyond funding cuts. Alberta insists safeguards are in place: doctors must meet minimum public surgery hours before accessing private work, and emergency and cancer care stay strictly public. The clash highlights a deeper divide—Ottawa sees “ability to pay,” Alberta sees “patient choice.” This experiment could reshape healthcare delivery across Canada—and may even influence Alberta’s upcoming referendum on federal programs. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/8376260baa7cad99