Friends of Medicare frustrated by Alberta health minister’s international junket
Published 2:42 pm Tuesday, October 6, 2026
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Alberta recently sent officials to look at Sweden and Denmark’s public and private health care systems as the province pushes forward with its dual-practice model for doctors.
The trip comes as Alberta rolls out its new model that allows doctors to work in both the public and private health care systems, which critics say violates the Canada Health Act, and violates prohibitions against extra-billing and user fees.
Hospital and Surgical Health Services Minister Adriana LaGrange is meeting with health experts in the two European countries and visiting health care facilities during the Oct. 2 to 10 trip.
“Albertans deserve a modern, responsive health care system that puts patients first. By examining how world-class systems in Sweden and Denmark successfully manage wait times and expanded access, we can adopt proven innovations to build a stronger, more sustainable health system here at home,” said LaGrange, in a statement.
The province said Sweden and Denmark have publicly funded health care systems that spend comparable amounts per person to Canada while using different approaches to health care that Alberta can learn from to improve its system.
Chris Gallaway, executive director of Friends of Medicare, said instead of international junkets, he would encourage all four of Alberta’s health ministers to pay attention to solutions proposed by health care workers right here in the province.
“What I hear from physicians, and nurses, and front line health care workers is they don’t feel listened to. That they’re burnt out. That they don’t know how much longer they can keep the system going,” Gallaway said.
“Rather than flying around the world trying to sell their two-tier health care back home, they should go travel around Alberta and listen to the solutions we have right here.”
He said Albertans are also still waiting for the promised dual-practice guardrails.
“They haven’t passed any regulations that put any guardrails beyond saying which procedures will be included to start. When are they going to do that? What are they going to look like? How do we know that what they’re doing is going to protect the public system?”