(Canadian Press)

By Ian Gustafson

health statutes amendment act

Alberta NDP raises alarm bells for Bill 55, but LaGrange silences claims

May 9, 2025 | 5:50 PM

The Alberta NDP and other health-oriented groups say Bill 55, The Health Statutes Amendment Act, proposed by the provincial government, will destroy public health if passed.

This comes following second reading of the legislation on Wednesday; it was tabled May 1.

The office of Health Minister Adriana LaGrange says the NDP’s claims are nothing but fear-mongering.

“Bill 55 is not a step towards privatization. Our government remains firmly committed to a publicly funded provincial health system. We stand by our public health guarantee—no Albertan will ever have to pay out-of-pocket for medically necessary services, including visiting a family doctor or receiving care in a hospital,” the office’s statement said.

Bill 55 is the government’s self-described plan to improve public health delivery and system oversight by refocusing public health care.

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Sarah Hoffman, NDP Shadow Minister for Health, said this week the amendment act lets the health minister turn hospitals over to private interests, and private operators to charge patients fees for services.

“The UCP said they wouldn’t privatize health care,” said Hoffman.

“Then they expanded private surgeries, took over ownership of all Alberta Health Services assets, and now they are pushing a bill to let private corporations run hospitals. The chaos, cuts and corruption agenda of this government is cruel.”

Hoffman said she will introduce several amendments to the bill, including one that specifies that hospitals are to be publicly funded and operated.

She explained why private interests should not take over operation of hospitals.

“During an affordability crisis, when people are worried about paying their rent and for food, it’s cruel to add the need to pay for any care they may need,” Hoffman said. “It’s 25 years ago and Bill 11 all over again. Ralph Klein had the wisdom to pull that bill. The UCP should do the same.”

LaGrange’s office explained the proposed changes outlined in Bill 55 focus on improving accountability, coordination, and outcomes across the system—not limiting access to care or creating financial barriers.

It dies not allow private corporations to take over public hospitals. The Health Facilities Act explicitly prohibits private hospitals in Alberta, and that will not change. Hospitals will continue to be operated by Alberta Health Services (AHS), provincial health agencies, or health corporations—not private corporations.

“Sarah Hoffman knows this full well from her time as Health Minister, yet continues to spread misinformation to mislead Albertans,” LaGrange’s office said.

“Strengthening oversight and accountability is a core focus of Bill 55, not diminishing it. By clearly defining hospital operators’ roles, we are enhancing governance, not compromising it. By formally assigning responsibility to hospital operators, we are ensuring direct oversight tied to the quality, accessibility, and effectiveness of care delivered to Albertans. Importantly, decisions about patient care will continue to be made by physicians and health professionals, not administrators—this will not change. Albertans will continue to receive the care they need, when they need it, without having to pay out-of-pocket or being penalized for accessing that care.”

Friends of Medicare, the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, and the Canadian Union of Public Employees share the same concerns.

“The government is trying to sneak through massive changes to our public health care delivery by burying them within the many pages of Bill 55. This proposed legislation needs to be pulled from the Order Paper immediately,” said Chris Gallaway, executive director of Friends of Medicare.

“Allowing Bill 55 to pass would queue things up for the government to very quickly turn over our public hospital infrastructure to be operated by private, for-profit interests — something they’ve been building the groundwork to do for many months.”

The AUPE says despite promising to improve health care, the government’s proposed Bill 55 does not. They claim it will worsen health care services.

They also say staff were allegedly kept in the dark when the government broke AHS into Primary and Acute Care Alberta.

“Instead of improving public health care, the government is preparing the system for privatization,” says AUPE Vice-President Sandra Azocar. “If Alberta’s hospitals are sold or given to private entities, quality will be sacrificed in the name of cutting corners and turning a profit.”

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