Enhancing access is the clear path to achieving better health outcomes and patient autonomy for Albertans, and reducing health care system strain. New legislative reforms will allow Albertans to privately purchase any diagnostic screening and testing services they wish, including MRIs, CT scans, full-body scans and blood work.
These reforms will also allow health professionals and medical organizations to offer these services privately and enable supplemental health benefits plans to insure them. Preventative care can identify developing heath conditions early. Currently, long diagnostic imaging wait times and growing waitlists for preventative screening are delaying timely care for Albertans.
Under Alberta’s Public Health Guarantee, all physician-recommended tests will continue to be fully covered and prioritized in all facilities, public or private, across the province. If a privately purchased test reveals a significant or critical condition, the out-of-pocket cost will be reimbursed, ensuring no Albertan pays for a medically necessary test.
Expanded access to elective testing, screening and other diagnostic services will attract new investment in diagnostic technology and facilities. This approach will increase capacity, shorten wait times and reduce pressure on Alberta’s public health system.
“Albertans deserve timely answers about their health. By expanding access to preventative and elective testing, we’re empowering people to take control of their care and reducing wait times across the system.”
Advances in artificial intelligence and diagnostic technology are making earlier detection more accessible and effective, leading to improved access with a focus on proactive, patient-centered care for millions of people around the world.
Nations with strong public health systems like Germany, Japan, South Korea and Switzerland have seen a significant number of private preventative clinics being established to handle an increased demand for these services.
“By giving Albertans more choice to access elective testing, screening and other diagnostic services, we are ushering in an innovative, new era of preventative health care in the province. Expanding access to preventative health services will strengthen Alberta’s public health care system, ensuring improved outcomes and greater benefits for all Albertans across the province.”
Improving access to preventative screening will support Albertans in getting the care they need in the early stages of a health condition. In fact, the greatest improvement for cancer and heart disease survival rates is early detection. For example:
- When lung cancer is caught early, the survival rate is more than 60 per cent; if caught late, it is only 24 per cent.
- For stomach cancer, survival rates reach 70 per cent if caught early, compared to 32 per cent if caught late.
- For breast cancer, survival rates are now more than 93 per cent if caught early.
It is also far less costly and less invasive to treat these conditions in their early stages, as opposed to when they have reached an advanced stage.
““While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, early detection helps people begin treatments and lifestyle supports that improve quality of life. It also gives individuals and families time to talk openly about wishes and future plans while the person living with dementia can fully participate.”
Alberta’s government will be conducting engagement with stakeholders on the proposed changes. This work will help inform what legislative and policy changes might be needed to allow for increased access to preventative screening options. Further details will be shared in the coming months.
Quick facts
- CT scans rose by 8.3 per cent from 2023–24 to 2024–25, but waitlists grew 44.2 per cent. Edmonton had the longest CT wait at 368 days; the South Zone had 123 days.
- MRI scans increased 5.2 per cent from 2023–24 to 2024–25, while waitlists grew 40.7 per cent. Calgary recorded the longest MRI wait at 426 days.
- Early-stage Alzheimer's or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is characterized by subtle changes in cognitive function that are noticeable to the individual and sometimes to close friends and family, but don't significantly interfere with daily life.
Not everyone with MCI develops Alzheimer's, but it does increase the risk. Early diagnosis can help in managing symptoms and planning for the future.