Alberta allowing patients to self-refer, pay out of pocket for preventative health testing
The Alberta government is following-through on its plan to introduce a self-referral model of preventative medical testing whereby patients can pay out-of-pocket or via private insurance in an effort to cut. . .
The Alberta government is following-through on its plan to introduce a self-referral model of preventative medical testing whereby patients can pay out-of-pocket or via private insurance in an effort to cut into lengthy waiting lists, but critics say it will only benefit those with money to spend and may further burden the public system. The plan was first announced last October through asocial media videofeaturing Premier Danielle Smith alongside then-Primary and Preventive Health Services Minister Adriana LaGrange, and was put intolegislation in springthat reclassified preventative health testing as uninsured under the public system. Smith is holding a news conference Monday afternoon in Calgary regarding the new policy. The province said the policy is intended to complement the public health system and expand patient choice while enabling earlier detection of disease. It notes that all tests ordered by a healthcare provider will remain covered across both public and private providers and that the changes do not apply to preventative screening programs such as those that exist for breast, cervical, or colorectal cancers, which will continue operating unchanged and be publicly paid for. The new policy will come into effect on Friday, and will allow individuals to self-refer for certain types of testing: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, and X-ray scans. That list does not include blood work as indicated in October's video, though the province said the list of eligible tests could be added to in the future. The government says patients who pay for their own testing could be reimbursed if the results lead to a clinical diagnosis of cancer, the lone disease the policy applies to. Individuals are eligible if they are 18 years of age or older, or under 18 years of age with consent from a parent or guardian. Residents from other provinces can also access the testing regime though they are not eligible for potential cost compensation. Albertans would have one year from the time of the test to complete a reimbursement form which the province says it aims to turnaround within six to eight weeks. Albertans can currently access preventative health testing services at no cost following a referral from a provider such as a physician or nurse practitioner. Such a referral is also currently required to access services at private diagnostic imaging clinics. Private providers can choose whether or not to participate in the new testing system and can also set their own rates. The province said it can't yet say how many providers will opt-in but that it expects it to be a rolling decision made by individual facilities. 'Further burden the public system'Prime Minister Mark Carney has been largely silent in response to claims that Alberta's plans will run afoul of the Canada Health Act and threaten public access to health care. Postmedia has sought comment from his office, as well as that of Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel, in reaction to Smith's Monday announcement. In response to the order in council outlining the changes published last week, public health advocacy group the Friends of Medicare said the changes pave the way for two-tier, American-style health care. "The majority of Canadians believe that everyone deserves timely access to quality public health care when they need it, regardless of their ability to pay. Yet Alberta's government seems intent on ignoring those voices, while doubling-down on failed privatization, bolstering a private insurance industry and constructing more barriers to access," said the group's director, Chris Gallaway. The Alberta Medical Association also spoke out against the government's plan, with president Dr. Brian Wirzba saying he was concerned the new testing policies will further burden the public system. "This is not going to address the problems that we have with access," Wirzba told Postmedia last April, soon after the legislation setting out the changes was introduced. "This is being sold as something to improve access, but we are very concerned that this will actually further burden the public system. "— with files from Cindy Tranmblack@postmedia. comBookmark our website and support our journalism:Don't miss the news you need to know — addEdmontonJournal. comandEdmontonSun. comto your bookmarks andsign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today:The Edmonton Journal|The Edmonton Sun.