Health & Living

01 Alberta Healthcare Is Changing: What Patients Need to Know Alberta's healthcare system has changed significantly. New provincial health organizations now divide responsibility for primary care, hospital care, continuing care, and mental health and... → 02 Public vs Private Healthcare in Alberta Public and private healthcare are often discussed as though they are two completely separate systems. In Alberta, the reality is more complicated. A healthcare... → 03 What Is Dual Practice in Alberta? Dual practice is a new model being implemented in Alberta that allows eligible physicians to work in both publicly funded and privately paid surgical... → 04 Can You Still Choose Public Healthcare in Alberta? Yes. Eligible Albertans can still use the publicly funded healthcare system for insured medically necessary care. Alberta's newer private-pay options, including the developing dual-practice... → 05 What Can You Pay for Privately in Alberta? Albertans have long paid privately for some healthcare services, from dental care and eyeglasses to cosmetic procedures and certain rehabilitation services. What is changing... → 06 What Does Your Alberta Health Card Cover? Your Alberta health coverage pays for many medically necessary physician and hospital services, but it is not an all-inclusive health plan. Dental care, prescription... → 07 Publicly Funded Care at Private Surgical Facilities You can receive publicly funded healthcare in a privately operated surgical facility in Alberta. The building does not determine who pays for your care.... → 08 Private Surgery vs Chartered Surgical Facilities Private surgery and surgery performed at a chartered surgical facility are not necessarily the same thing in Alberta. A chartered surgical facility describes where... → 09 Do You Need Private Health Insurance in Alberta? You do not need private health insurance to receive insured medically necessary physician and hospital care in Alberta if you are eligible for the... → 10 Employer-Sponsored Private Health Services Employer health benefits in Alberta are changing. Traditional workplace plans often help employees pay for prescription drugs, dental care, vision care and services such... → 11 How Alberta's Health Organizations Fit Together Alberta's healthcare system has been reorganized substantially. For years, Albertans became accustomed to thinking of Alberta Health Services, or AHS, as the organization responsible... → 12 Finding a Family Doctor or Nurse Practitioner Finding a regular family doctor can be difficult in some Alberta communities, but a family physician is no longer the only primary-care provider you... → 13 Understanding Surgical Wait Lists Being told that you are "on the surgical wait list" can make it sound as though everyone is standing in one long line. Alberta's... → 14 Medical Testing Without a Referral in Alberta Until recently, most Albertans who wanted diagnostic imaging such as an MRI or CT scan expected to start with a healthcare provider and obtain... → 15 Dental, Vision and Prescription Drugs: What AHCIP Does Not Cover Alberta's public healthcare system covers medically necessary physician and hospital services, but an Alberta health card is not an all-inclusive health plan. Routine dental... → 16 How to Compare a Private Clinic Safely Private healthcare options are becoming more visible in Alberta, from diagnostic imaging and preventative testing to consultations and surgery. Comparing clinics should involve much... → 17 Questions to Ask Before Paying for Medical Care Paying privately for healthcare can give Albertans additional choices, but the decision deserves the same care you would give any important medical decision. Before... → 18 Preventative Health Testing: Benefits, Limits and False Reassurance Preventative testing can find some diseases before symptoms appear, sometimes at a stage when treatment is easier or more effective. But testing is not... → 19 Nutrition Advice: How to Separate Evidence From Marketing Nutrition advice is everywhere. Some comes from researchers and regulated health professionals. Some comes from food companies, supplement sellers, influencers, documentaries, podcasts and people... → 20 Building Healthy Habits Without Chasing Perfection Healthy living is often presented as a complete transformation: the perfect diet, daily workouts, flawless sleep, ideal weight and a long list of things... →