The entrance to the emergency department at Peter Lougheed hospital is pictured in Calgary on Aug. 22, 2023. The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh
Commentary
Alberta has always been a positive disrupter among provinces when it comes to pursuing health-care reform. In 2000, Premier Ralph Klein was in a pitched battle with federal Liberal Health Minister Allan Rock over the allowance of private MRI services in the province. Waiting times for medical diagnostics were rising across the country, and Klein wanted to allow private companies into the mix to reduce the load. The federal government threatened to cut Alberta’s health transfers in response. Klein held his ground, and his initiative spread. Private MRI services are now available in seven out of ten provinces in Canada, and people accept them without batting an eye.
