Day of Action against Bill 11 and American-style health care in Alberta

Alberta's Bill 11 creates the legal framework for American-style, two-tier health care and the establishment of private health insurance, while allowing private payment for medically necessary care. This law will cause gross inequities in access to health care in Alberta and it threatens public health care across Canada.

United Nurses of Alberta encourages members to support a national day of action on September 1 to oppose two-tier American-style health care in Alberta. 

September 1 in Calgary @ 12:00 p.m.
Calgary Confederation Constituency Office
1717 10 Street NW

September 1 in Edmonton @ 12:00 p.m.
Edmonton Centre Constituency Office
12220 Stony Plain Road

Alberta's government passed Bill 11, the Health Statutes Amendment Act 2025 (No.2) in the Alberta Legislature last year, and parts of the law that UNA is deeply concerned about will come into effect on September 1, 2026.

1. Bill 11 establishes an unprecedented model of two-tiered health care access in Alberta by allowing physicians to work in both the public and private systems concurrently, including charging patients out of pocket. Countries that already allow dual practice have no better wait times than Canada, and some actually have longer wait times. A two-tier health care system draws resources out of the public system and allows wealthy people to pay out of pocket to jump the queue, increasing wait times for the majority of people.

2. Bill 11 creates Canada’s first private insurance market for medically necessary care, which will drive up health care costs. Bringing U.S. style private health insurance into Alberta, including expanded workplace plans, will not stop at the Alberta border. Bill 11 will feed a market of private health insurance that will use every method it can to expand across Canada. Allowing this foothold in Canada would mean our single-payer health care will no longer be protected from trade agreements with the United States.

3. Privatization inevitably costs patients and governments more money than a single public health care system does. Private health insurance costs more. Employers and employees will face new private health insurance costs, driving up the cost of business in Canada. Costs will increase and be passed on through co-pays and deductibles to employees.

UNA continues to call on the federal government to enforce the Canada Health Act and block these damaging changes to the public health care system.