EDMONTON — The government of Alberta released details about its preventive health testing self-referral model on Monday, as Premier Danielle Smith and the UCP continue to attempt to address Alberta's healthcare backlog by expanding private options. "At its core, this initiative is about giving Albertans more choice," said Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Justin Wright."It's about supporting prevention, finding cancer earlier, and helping people get answers sooner, while protecting our public system, strengthening the healthcare system, and taking care of Albertans."Monday's announcement built on the model introduced in April, as the UCP said that, effective Friday, Albertans willing to pay the cost can self-refer for specific tests, such as an MRI, CT scan, ultrasound, and X-ray. .Albertans can already pursue private testing, but regulations currently require individuals to first obtain a service referral from a healthcare provider, which the UCP says backslogs the system for those without a primary care provider. If a self-referred preventive test leads to a cancer diagnosis, Alberta healthcare may reimburse the cost of the service, but individuals must first file a private insurance claim, and the government must be the "payor of last resort." "Albertans know their own bodies; they know when something doesn't feel right, and many, many have told us they want more options to see cancer sooner," Wright said."For some, the concern comes from a family history of cancer. Others, it may begin when they notice changes or symptoms that they've found themselves. Whatever the reason, Albertans want more choice in taking proactive steps to protect their health. This initiative will give them another option to act sooner."Private facilities will have the option to opt into the self-referral model, and they will set service costs; public reimbursement rates will be established on Friday. .Individuals have raised concerns about the UCP pushing towards an increasingly privatized healthcare system, and some have said the self-referral program will force Albertans to pay for all preventive testing, but the government says that is false."This new approach complements and strengthens Alberta's public healthcare system," said Smith. "It won't replace it. Medically necessary care will remain prioritized and publicly funded as it always has.""Albertans will continue to receive the diagnostic testing and care that they need, like routine mammograms and prostate cancer screening, when and where they need it."According to Wright, facilities participating in the new model must guarantee and maintain the same amount of public testing access as they did prior to self-referrals. "Any additional services that they take on are secondary, exclusively after physician-referred services," Wright said. "So, there is steps to make sure that nothing is changing in that regard.""The priority and focus continues to protect Alberta's publicly funded system. This is just an additional avenue of choice for limited clinics who offer the private services."The UCP claim that the new model is expected to ease the load placed on Alberta's public system by allowing Albertans to choose to pursue private non-urgent testing, support earlier detection, and improve overall health outcomes..Healthcare providers will be required to assess the individual seeking the service prior to testing to ensure it is safe and clinically appropriate, and may decline the service or recommend an alternative based on their assessment. Individuals looking to self-refer must be over 18 years old or have consent from a legal guardian and will be required to pay the fee prior to testing. Providers will upload test results to the individual's Alberta Electronic Health Records, and the UCP said follow-up clinical assessments "will be handled appropriately." The UCP said they intend to monitor the model as it begins on Friday, and will make adjustments as needed, including potentially adding services in the future.
