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 in 2026 is the range of privately paid options available in areas that can also intersect with the public health system. Understanding what you can pay for, what AHCIP covers and whether a public pathway exists can help you make an informed decision.

Private healthcare is not new in Alberta

It is easy to hear discussion about private healthcare and assume that paying for medical or health services is something entirely new.

Albertans already pay directly, through workplace benefits or through private insurance for many services that are not fully covered by the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan.

Depending on the service and your eligibility for other government programs, privately paid healthcare can include dental treatment, prescription medications, eyeglasses, some vision care, physiotherapy, massage therapy, cosmetic procedures and other health services.

The important distinction is whether a particular service is insured under AHCIP or another public program.

What does AHCIP generally cover?

AHCIP provides eligible Alberta residents with coverage for medically necessary physician services and insured hospital services.

This includes medically required services provided by physicians and surgeons and covered hospital services such as medically necessary nursing, diagnostic procedures, operating-room services and standard hospital accommodation.

AHCIP is not a comprehensive insurance plan for every expense related to health.

Separate provincial programs may provide additional benefits for particular populations or services, and many Albertans also have employer-sponsored or individually purchased supplementary insurance.

Services Albertans commonly pay for privately

Depending on individual circumstances, common privately paid health expenses can include:

• routine dental examinations and treatment
• eyeglasses and contact lenses
• some routine adult optometry services
• prescription medications not covered by another program
• physiotherapy outside applicable publicly funded programs
• massage therapy
• chiropractic services
• cosmetic surgery and cosmetic treatments
• certain medical examinations, forms and certificates
• some travel-related medical services and vaccinations

Coverage varies. Age, income, medical circumstances, employer benefits and eligibility for provincial or federal programs can all affect what an individual actually pays.

Always check your own coverage rather than assuming a service is uninsured simply because another person had to pay for it.

Can you pay privately for diagnostic testing?

Yes, in some circumstances.

Alberta introduced a new preventative health testing pathway effective July 31, 2026. Adults can book certain diagnostic imaging tests at participating private clinics without first obtaining a physician referral.

The eligible imaging categories identified by Alberta include MRI, CT, ultrasound and X-ray. Availability depends on the participating clinic and the particular test.

This is a patient-pay option. The individual pays the clinic directly for preventative testing obtained through this pathway.

Does that mean diagnostic imaging is no longer publicly covered?

No.

The privately paid preventative testing pathway is separate from medically necessary diagnostic imaging ordered through the publicly funded health system.

If your healthcare provider determines that diagnostic imaging is medically necessary and you meet the requirements for publicly insured testing, the existence of a private preventative option does not itself remove that public pathway.

This distinction is particularly important when comparing advertisements for private screening with medically indicated diagnostic care.

What if private preventative testing finds cancer?

Alberta has established a specific reimbursement provision for eligible patients whose privately paid preventative diagnostic imaging leads to a new cancer diagnosis.

According to the province, an AHCIP-covered patient may apply for reimbursement up to the established reimbursement rate when the program’s eligibility requirements are met.

This does not mean every privately purchased scan is automatically reimbursed. The reimbursement provision is tied to the conditions established by the Alberta program.

Patients considering preventative imaging should understand both the price and the reimbursement rules before booking.

Can you pay privately for surgery?

Some surgical care has long existed outside public insurance, particularly procedures that are cosmetic or otherwise uninsured.

Alberta is now also implementing a dual-practice framework that will allow eligible physicians to provide certain privately paid surgeries while continuing to work in the publicly funded system.

Approved physicians are expected to begin participating as the program is implemented.

Not every physician, surgery or facility is automatically eligible.

What kinds of surgery may be eligible?

Alberta has identified several areas that may include eligible procedures under dual practice, subject to physician, procedure, facility and regulatory requirements.

These include areas such as orthopedics, cataract surgery, gynecology, ophthalmology, selected ear, nose and throat procedures, dermatology, plastic surgery and some minimally invasive general surgery procedures.

Patients should not interpret those categories as a guarantee that every procedure within them can be purchased privately.

Before considering private surgery, confirm that the particular procedure, physician and facility are eligible under the current rules.

What cannot simply become private-pay surgery?

Alberta has stated that surgeries for life-threatening conditions, including cancer, along with emergency and urgent surgeries, will remain entirely publicly funded.

The dual-practice framework therefore does not mean every operation can be moved into a patient-pay system.

It also does not mean that an eligible patient must purchase a private procedure merely because a private option becomes available.

What about private health insurance?

Private health insurance generally supplements rather than replaces AHCIP.

An employer plan or individual policy may cover some expenses that AHCIP does not, including prescription drugs, dental care, vision benefits, paramedical services and other eligible expenses.

Whether newer privately paid medical services or surgeries are covered will depend on the insurance contract.

Do not assume that a private medical procedure is covered simply because you have extended health benefits. Ask the insurer before committing to treatment.

Paying privately does not always mean faster or better

Price and speed are not the same thing as medical value.

A privately available test may be easier to access, but more testing is not automatically better healthcare. Screening can produce incidental findings, false positives and additional investigations that may not ultimately improve health outcomes.

Similarly, choosing private surgery may reduce waiting time in some circumstances, but patients still need to evaluate the physician, facility, risks, expected benefit, follow-up care and total cost.

The right question is not simply, “Can I pay for this?” It is also, “Is this appropriate for me?”

Questions to ask before paying

Before purchasing a medical service, consider asking:

• Is this service covered by AHCIP?
• Is there a publicly funded pathway?
• Why is this test or treatment being recommended?
• Do I need a referral?
• What is the complete cost?
• Are professional fees, anesthesia or facility fees extra?
• What happens if the test finds something abnormal?
• Who provides follow-up care?
• What happens if there is a complication?
• Will the results become part of my provincial health record?
• Does my employer plan or private insurance cover any of the cost?

For expensive services, ask for the proposed treatment and complete fees in writing.

Check the provider as well as the price

A polished website or expensive service does not establish medical quality.

Physicians should be appropriately licensed by the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta. Other regulated health professionals have their own professional colleges or regulatory bodies.

Surgical facilities must meet the applicable provincial and accreditation requirements.

Before paying substantial amounts for healthcare, verify the professional and facility rather than relying only on testimonials, reviews or advertising.

The PureFarmFresh approach

More healthcare choices can also mean more responsibility for consumers.

We think Albertans should be able to distinguish an insured service from an uninsured service, a publicly funded procedure from a privately paid one, and useful healthcare from marketing.

Private payment can be appropriate in some circumstances. Publicly funded care remains appropriate in many others. The answer depends on the service, the patient and the evidence.

We explain the system. You decide what matters to you.