Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is seen at a luncheon hosted by the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, July 20, 2023. Alberta-based advocacy organization Friends of Medicare says the province needs to put a stop to a Calgary clinic planning to charge annual fees for faster access to a physician. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
Health Canada says a Calgary medical clinic that soon plans to charge its patients a fee to gain faster access to a family doctor would be violating medicare laws.
The federal agency says it is working with the province on this and says Alberta risks losing federal transfer health payments if it doesn’t do something about it.
The issues surrounds the Marda Loop Medical Clinic.
The clinic has told its patients that starting next week, it will still see patients for free one day a week, but the other four days will be dedicated to patients who pay annual membership fees such as $2,200 for an individual and $4,800 for a family.
For that money, the clinic promises faster access to the physician, along with other perks and services, including extended sessions, at-home blood tests and discounts on related services such as physiotherapy.
In a statement, Health Canada says the Marda Loop fee plan equates to preferential access to insured health services and, therefore, violates the universality provisions of the Canada Health Act.
Premier Danielle Smith’s government and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta have said they are looking into the fee plan, while the Opposition NDP is calling on the province to pass legislation to stop it.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 25, 2023.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said Chris Gallaway is the president of Friends of Medicare.
