The cure is public

This summer, Canada’s provincial and territorial premiers are gathering at the Council of the Federation. Prince Edward Island Premier Rob Lantz will host his counterparts from 21 to 23 July 2026 to discuss key national issues such as internal trade and labor mobility, health care, community safety, immigration, and economic development.

The premiers face a number of competing, parallel priorities—Quebec is preparing for a provincial election in October and Alberta is debating the merits of separation and has introduced two-tier health care with the passage of Bill 11.

It is important to ensure that the model created by Alberta’s Bill 11 not take root or be allowed to spread to BC.

Bill 11 allows Alberta doctors to bill the publicly funded system for patient care while also charging patients privately for the same medically necessary services. It was passed in December 2025 and is expected to be implemented in phases in 2026.

Alberta’s bill makes the provincial government the “payor of last resort”—the province will cover drug and supplemental benefits only if an individual does not have access to private insurance for the same or equivalent service.

By setting up a two-tier system where the wealthy have better access to care, Bill 11 directly contravenes the Canada Health Act. It throws the door wide open to private insurance companies and is an unprecedented attack on the principles of public medicare that keep the profit motive out of Canadian health care and ensure access is based on need, not the ability to pay.

As the premiers gather in Prince Edward Island to discuss cooperation on trade, economic, health, and other issues, we need strong leadership from David Eby and the other premiers, sending a clear message that the provinces and territories expect the federal government to uphold and protect the Canada Health Act.

It is also important to let MLAs in BC know that two-tier health care is the wrong way to go.

Over the last year, British Columbians have seen construction for the new St. Paul’s Hospital campus, a 204-bed replacement for the Cowichan District Hospital, and a new acute care tower at Royal Columbian Hospital. The BC government has delivered a new digital radiography X-ray machine and upgraded exam room at Port Hardy Hospital, provided free prescription contraception and diabetes medications, expanded the scope of practice for midwives, and opened the first new medical school in Western Canada in nearly 60 years, at Simon Fraser University in Surrey.

But we’ve also seen paused or canceled contracts for seven long-term care facility projects across the province, including Delta, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Kelowna, and Fort St. John. We’ve seen scaling back of the BC Family Residence Program, which provides accommodation funding for families with seriously ill children traveling to Vancouver for medical care, hallway medicine and ER closures, and staff shortages in maternity and pediatric care in Kelowna and the Central Okanagan.

There is more to do to ensure all regions of the province and all families and individuals have access to care, hospitals, and a family doctor. Let’s let government officials know we support continued efforts to strengthen and improve BC’s health care system. As for the gaps and ills that still remain—the cure is public.
—Cherie Payne, BA, LLB
Executive Director, BC Health Coalition