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Alberta.ca Account
Part of New and proposed legislation

Expanding health care access for Albertans

Proposed legislation would expand access to testing and medications, making it easier for Albertans to get care faster and closer to home.

Overview

If passed, Bill 29, the Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2026, will allow Albertans to access certain private preventative health tests without a referral later this year. Preventative health testing is essential for identifying medical conditions at an early stage, when interventions are simpler, less costly and more effective. This change will make it easier for Albertans to take proactive steps in managing their health while helping reduce pressure on the public system.

Bill 29, if passed, will also amend the Pharmacy and Drug Act to allow authorized prescribers to keep a limited supply of certain prescription medications used in addiction treatment for urgent situations. In many rural, remote and Indigenous communities, long travel distances to pharmacies can delay treatment when time matters most. These changes will help people begin treatment sooner by improving access to medications needed for care. All medications will continue to be dispensed through licensed pharmacies and subject to strict safety, storage and oversight requirements. Faster access to medication can be critical in stabilizing patients and supporting recovery.

If passed, Bill 29 also includes final steps to complete Alberta’s health system refocusing, supporting a more coordinated and streamlined health system. Remaining public health functions will be aligned under the Ministry of Primary and Preventative Health Services. This work is about reducing fragmentation across the system and improving clarity about where services and responsibilities sit, so care can be delivered more consistently and efficiently.

Additional amendments will update legislation to reflect these changes and ensure alignment across related acts.

Key changes

If passed, the Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2026 would additionally amend legislation to ensure alignment with the government’s work to support a more coordinated and streamlined health system.

  • Preventative health testing

    As part of Bill 29, amendments to the Alberta Health Care Insurance Act would lay the groundwork to allow Albertans to access certain preventative health tests without a provider referral.

    Under Alberta’s Public Health Guarantee, all practitioner-recommended tests will continue to be fully covered and prioritized in all facilities, public or private, across the province.

    More information about preventative health testing services will be shared later in the spring, including: 

    • which preventative testing services will be available
    • how reimbursement will work for eligible individuals
    • what criteria will apply
    • how Albertans can access these services

  • Easier access to prescription drugs for pharmacies

    As part of Bill 29, amendments to the Pharmacy and Drug Act would allow pharmacists in licensed community pharmacies to sell Schedule 1 drugs to authorized prescribers for use in their practices.

    This change would allow authorized prescribers, such as physicians and nurse practitioners, especially those practising in rural, remote and Indigenous communities, to keep a contingency stock of medications in their clinics for in-office use. All medications would continue to be dispensed through licensed pharmacies and subject to strict safety, storage and oversight requirements.

    This change would increase access to low-risk opioid agonist therapy medication, making urgent treatment immediately available through authorized prescribers and removing barriers to care. 

  • System refocus legislation

    As part of Bill 29, various pieces of health legislation are receiving minor technical amendments to ensure alignment with the refocused health system.

    The acts being amended are the Provincial Health Agencies Act (PHAA), Alberta Health Care Insurance Act, and the Health Insurance Premiums Act, along with minor regulation changes and other related amendments.

    Key changes include:

    • updating references to appropriate ministers, departments and act names to align with the transition from Alberta Health to Primary and Preventative Health Services (PPHS) and Hospital and Surgical Health Services (HSHS)
    • adding termination and severance repayment provisions to support the movement of public health inspectors (Regional Health Authority employees) to PPHS
    • adjusting the PHAA transitional period to the end of 2026 to provide stability while a new labour framework is developed
    • updating definitions in key regulations to address real property governance transfers affecting AHS
    • moving financial matters provisions to all PHC regulations to allow for the repeal of the PHC Financial Matters Regulation

  • AHS workforce transition legislation

    As part of Bill 29, the Provincial Health Agencies Act is being amended so that staff can seamlessly transition from a regional health authority, provincial health corporation or provincial health agency to the Government of Alberta.

    The proposed amendments:

    • enable staff transition from a Regional Health Authority (RHA), Provincial Health Agency (PHA) or Primary Health Care (PHC) into the Crown (government)
    • support the final wind‑up of the RHA
    • establish severance repayment as a condition of employment where applicable
    • enable the Crown to recover severance owed
    • allow the oversight minister to require disclosure of employee information from an RHA, PHA or PHC for the purpose of recovering severance owed to the Crown

    This change supports the transition of existing staff only. It creates no job losses and staff will continue their work delivering public health services to Albertans. 

  • Dual practice

    As part of Bill 29, legislation is being amended to ensure that its terminology aligns with unproclaimed dual practice-related amendments to the Alberta Health Care Initiative Act that were also included in Bill 11.

    The proposed amendment specifies that physicians in this section only applies to “participating physicians” and “flexibly participating physicians” when they are participating in the plan as defined in the Alberta Health Care Initiative Act.

    Regulations and additional information will be released later this year. 

Next steps

The proposed amendments will take effect upon proclamation.

Background

Alberta’s health system refocus has been implemented through multiple phases of legislation since 2024, establishing new provincial health agencies, sector‑based oversight, and updated governance frameworks.

  • In spring 2024, the Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2024 (HSAA, 2024) passed alongside regulatory amendments to enable the establishment of provincial health agencies and begin refocusing Alberta’s health system. 
  • In fall 2024, additional amendments allowed Alberta Health Services to transition from a regional health authority to an acute care service provider, advancing sector‑based governance.
  • In spring 2025, HSAA, 2025 addressed remaining major refocus policy items, including hospital governance, health foundation oversight, and public health’s role in the refocused system. 
  • With core policy and structural changes now in place, spring 2026 amendments represent the final legislative alignment phase of the refocused health care system, ensuring consistency, clarity and smooth operation under the new health system structure.

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