Careful What You Wish For
I generally try to avoid "BREAKING NEWS", about which there is too much, and most of it is bad. The topic for today is at least not about the bad news which is always breaking south of here.
The issue for this post relates to one of the consequences for Albertans, if they choose to become tourists and, when visiting Canada, happen to get sick. Health care costs for Canadians travelling in Canada are generally covered and having a heart attack in Vancouver will cost much less for them than one experienced in Orlando. Thinking about that is enough to give you one.
Although there are reasons to complain about "long waits" for procedures such as knee replacements, there are also reasons to feel grateful when we are asked for our health card rather than our cash, lots of it.
The issue for this post relates to one of the consequences for Albertans, if they choose to become tourists and, when visiting Canada, happen to get sick. Health care costs for Canadians travelling in Canada are generally covered and having a heart attack in Vancouver will cost much less for them than one experienced in Orlando. Thinking about that is enough to give you one.
Although there are reasons to complain about "long waits" for procedures such as knee replacements, there are also reasons to feel grateful when we are asked for our health card rather than our cash, lots of it.
Health Care Costs
We rarely think about them unless we are leaving Canada and wondering about how much travel insurance we need to purchase. Recently some dollar figures were attached to typical health care costs, along with the suggestion that Albertans might want to consider them. The retired doctor who provided them will probably not mind that I share them since he has published them in a few different articles which will be sourced below.
This article is from the Vancouver Sun, June 5, 2026:
"Independence From Canada Means a loss of Portable Health Benefits; Getting Sick While Visiting Home After Separation Would Prove Very Costly, Writes Dr. Charles S. Shaver."
"Citizens of an independent province would no longer be under the Canada Health Act.
They would be by definition "non-residents of Canada" when seeking urgent hospital or medical/surgical care in a Canadian province..."
Consider the following examples of rates set by health ministries for non-residents of Canada: St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver charges $1,355 for an emergency department visit, $4,690 daily for a standard room and $13,110 for an ICU bed. Vancouver General has a rate of $18,105 daily for the ICU.
An urgent care visit at Victoria Hospital in Winnipeg is $1,452; a stay in a standard four bed room costs $3,066 per day.
At Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, a standard room is $4,100 to $4,400 and an ICU bed is $6,400 to $6,600 per day.
The Ottawa Hospital charges $1,249 for an emergency visit. A standard room is $4,323; an ICU bed is $9,594 daily. The Queensway-Carleton Hospital, also in Ottawa, bills $1,242 for an emergency or outpatient clinic visit, $4,005 for a standard room and $15,642 for the ICU...."
After pointing out how difficult to get, and costly travel health insurance is, Dr. Shaver indicates that those from Alberta who need visit to a doctor in the province next door should note that:
"B.C. physicians frequently charge foreigners 11/2 to two times the B.C. Medical Services Plan rates. Alberta doctors often charge foreigners two to five times the provincial schedule of benefits fee. MDs in other provinces do much the same."
As I mentioned, variations of this article are found in some other papers and there may be one nearer to you that does not have a paywall. For example:
"B.C. physicians frequently charge foreigners 11/2 to two times the B.C. Medical Services Plan rates. Alberta doctors often charge foreigners two to five times the provincial schedule of benefits fee. MDs in other provinces do much the same."
As I mentioned, variations of this article are found in some other papers and there may be one nearer to you that does not have a paywall. For example:
"Opinion: Provincial Independence and the Loss of Portable Health Benefits," Dr. Charles Shaver, Saskatoon Star Phoenix, June 6, 2026.
"Separatists Risk the Loss of Portable Health Benefits," Dr. Charles Shaver, Hamilton Spectator, June 6, 2026
The Bonus:
Curious about Dr. Shaver, I searched for more and found this piece which does not appear to be behind a paywall. It is an interesting one and he earlier provided some figures for the Quebec separatists to consider: "Dr. Charles Shaver: My Journey From U.S. Race Riots to a Fraught Quebec Referendum," The Chronicle Herald, June 9, 2020.
Curious about Dr. Shaver, I searched for more and found this piece which does not appear to be behind a paywall. It is an interesting one and he earlier provided some figures for the Quebec separatists to consider: "Dr. Charles Shaver: My Journey From U.S. Race Riots to a Fraught Quebec Referendum," The Chronicle Herald, June 9, 2020.
The picture is from the Saskatoon Star Phoenix. It is of Tommy Douglas who was campaigning here in London in 1965. "In October 1966, Tommy Douglas defined portability of health benefits across Canada as one of four major principles. These were enshrined in the Canada Health Act of 1984."
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