NDP bill would protect against American-style healthcare

A bill to protect against American-style health care will not be heard in the Legislature after members of the UCP government voted against debating MLA Richard Feehan’s Private Member’s Bill. 

“Premier Jason Kenney and the UCP government is so intent on bringing American-style healthcare to Alberta, they refuse to debate a private members bill which will ensure every Albertan receives high quality care that they deserve,” said Feehan. 

Richard Feehan, MLA for Edmonton-Rutherford, introduced a private member’s bill to fight American-style healthcare on June 17. If passed, Private Members Bill 203: An Act to Protect Public Health Care would amend the Alberta Health Care Insurance Act (AHCIA) to prohibit extra billing for insured services by any person, and prohibit fee-based private clinics from billing individuals to whom they provide insured services.

When in government, Alberta’s NDP protected public health care services by hiring 4,000 nurses, building 2,000 long-term care and dementia care spaces, while also committing to the Calgary Cancer Centre, announcing a new South Edmonton Hospital and ended parking lot medicine in rural Alberta.

“We know there is still more work to do to improve access to quality health care, but giving $4.5 billion away to big corporations while asking Albertans to start paying to visit their doctor is not going to help,” Feehan said. “Rachel Notley and the NDP will fight for shorter wait times and better outcomes for you, not just those who can pay more.”