Albertans have been left covering more than $92 million in unpaid health-care costs after foreign visitors received treatment in the province and failed to pay their bills, according to new data released by think tank SecondStreet.orgAnd the news is even worse for BC taxpayers.The organization says records obtained from Alberta Health Services show non-residents from outside Canada accumulated $92.3 million in unpaid medical bills between the 2020/21 and 2024/25 fiscal years.SecondStreet.org president Colin Craig said taxpayers should not be expected to subsidize health care for tourists while many Albertans face lengthy waits for treatment.“Canadian taxpayers shouldn’t be expected to provide free health care for tourists,” Craig said. “This problem has cost Alberta taxpayers nearly a hundred million dollars while many patients languish on waiting lists. Fixing this problem could help more patients get access to the care they need.”The organization noted that the $92.3 million in unpaid bills could have funded approximately 7,600 hip replacement surgeries in Alberta over the same period, based on data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information.While Alberta's losses are significant, they are less than half of those reported in British Columbia, where SecondStreet.org says taxpayers have been left on the hook for $200.6 million in unpaid health-care bills from foreign visitors since 2020/21..The findings have prompted renewed calls for governments to tighten rules around access to publicly funded health care for non-residents.Among the policy changes proposed by SecondStreet.org are requiring foreign visitors to pay upfront before receiving non-emergency medical treatment, mandating travel health insurance for visitors entering Canada, and preventing non-residents with outstanding medical debts from re-entering the country.Craig said addressing the issue could free up resources for Canadian patients and help reduce pressure on strained health-care systems.The report comes as provinces across Canada continue to grapple with growing health-care costs, staffing shortages and long wait times for medical procedures.
