The Alberta Medical Association is calling for safeguards to protect publicly funded health care as the province prepares to launch a dual-practice surgery model that will allow eligible physicians to provide care in both public and private settings.
The AMA said it is focused not simply on supporting or opposing dual practice, but on ensuring the model is evidence-informed, transparent and developed with meaningful input from physicians and patients.
Access to care should be based on clinical need rather than ability to pay, the association said. The model must not displace or delay publicly funded care, divert scarce health-care workers from public services or compromise patient safety and continuity of care.
The AMA is also calling for clear accountability and oversight, along with practical and enforceable safeguards to protect the publicly funded system.
In April, the AMA’s Dual Practice Task Force submitted a report to the Alberta government outlining 70 proposed safeguards. The recommendations cover equitable access, patient safety, workforce sustainability, accountability and protection of the public health-care system.
Dual practice generally refers to physicians working in both publicly funded and privately paid care. Alberta’s model will allow eligible physicians to provide publicly funded surgeries in the public health system while also performing privately paid surgeries in approved private settings.
The province plans to launch the dual-practice surgery model in September, with eligible physicians able to express interest beginning June 22.
Under the framework, eligible physicians will be able to perform publicly funded surgeries while also providing designated privately paid procedures in approved settings. The government said the model is intended to expand surgical capacity, reduce wait times, give physicians greater flexibility and support recruitment and retention. It said Albertans will continue to have access to medically necessary care through the publicly funded system without being required to pay for it.
Bill 11, the *Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 (No. 2)*, received royal assent on Dec. 11, 2025. It amended the Alberta Health Care Insurance Act and established the legislative framework for dual practice, including physician participation, public-service commitments, billing, records, reporting, compliance and the provision of surgical services outside the publicly funded stream.
The legislation establishes categories for participating, non-participating and flexibly participating physicians. Additional requirements for the practical operation of the model are being established through regulations, policies and implementation guidance.
The province said participating physicians will have to meet minimum public-service requirements. Private-service records will be incorporated into provincial health information systems to support continuity of care and oversight.
The dual-practice framework will cover approved surgical procedures carried out at accredited chartered surgical facilities and hospitals. Emergency and urgent operations, along with procedures for life-threatening conditions such as cancer, will continue to be covered through the public system.
The province said it will track the program’s impact on the public system and adjust the framework if necessary to protect access to publicly funded care.
Acute Care Alberta will set the minimum amount of public surgical work participating physicians must provide, conduct regular reviews and report on the program’s performance as it rolls out.
