Rally opposing dual practice health care in Edmonton
Posted September 1, 2026 12:42 pm.
“Don’t pull the plug on public health care.”
That was the message from the United Nurses of Alberta, one of several groups taking part in a rally opposing Bill 11 in Edmonton on Tuesday.
The legislation, which just went into effect, enables doctors to offer private services while also working in the public system, starting with elective surgeries like hip and knee replacements.
The new model has been subject to widespread criticism.
Among the concerns of rallygoers Tuesday was that dual practice systems amount to two-tiered health care that benefit those who can afford to pay while draining resources from the public health system.
Some protest signs described the system as “American-style health care.”
The Albera government has defended the model, saying the current status quo isn’t serving Albertans well and the government wants to create more options. The province has also said it thinks the model will attract more doctors to Alberta.
There have been calls for Ottawa to step in and say Alberta’s law violates national health-care rules. Premier Danielle Smith has said it doesn’t violate the Canada Health Act, and she expects Ottawa to respect the province’s jurisdiction over health care.
–With files from The Canadian Press
