Beginning Friday, Albertans will be able to pay out-of-pocket for diagnostic screening tests, including an MRI and an ultrasound, and without a doctor’s referral.
The new change can help those who pay get a faster cancer diagnosis, and improve their chances of survival, without increasing wait times for others, the government said Monday.
Premier Danielle Smith said Albertans can self-refer, because they have a pretty good idea of when something isn’t right.
“We just want to put the power in the hands of the patient so that they can get those peace-of-mind tests and hopefully get the all clear,” she said.
Smith said patients pay for the tests when they receive them. Starting Saturday, they could start being reimbursed, if the results lead to a cancer diagnosis.
The announcement follows up on legislation passed by Smith’s United Conservative Party government in the spring, though it limited test options. The government previously promised to allow the private purchase of any diagnostic screening and testing service, including blood work.
Smith said Albertans will have the option to self-refer for ultrasounds, X-rays, MRIs and CT scans “to start.”
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Officials at the news conference offered reassurances that patients accessing the same tests with referrals from health-care practitioners would still be given priority.
“Any clinics that are participating in this must maintain and guarantee the same access that they have prior to July 31,” said Justin Wright, minister of primary and preventative health services.
Dr. Rob Davies, a former president of the Alberta Society of Radiologists, said the government will be keeping a close eye on the effects of the self-referral system.
“Even if this initiative quadrupled the number patients wanting to pay out-of-pocket, it’s still a small impact on our capacity,” Davies said. “So we think it’s something manageable.”
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Doctors warn self-referral testing plan could strain Alberta’s health system
Providers can still decide whether to offer the service and will also have the power to modify a test.
The new self-referral option also follows other proposals by the Alberta government to privatize portions of its health-care system.
Starting in September, for example, some physicians can begin offering privately paid surgeries, like hip and knee replacements, while working in the publicly funded system.
When asked why the province isn’t looking to broaden public health care rather than open up the private sector to self-referrals, Smith said there’s not enough money in the health system to cover the cost of every test for every person every year.
“There does have to be some deference given to doctors. But we also need to offer the option, if people want to pay for the treatment themselves. We don’t want to block that,” she said.
The government said test fees would vary from clinic to clinic.
