Private Health Care in Alberta alive and well.

In answer to enquiries regarding health care privatization:

Yes, the health regions are private companies and run like private companies. You will find the Minister of Health will avoid entering into any conversation regarding a complaint about the system. He refers all to Capital Health or the appropriate division.

The so called prototypical hospitals that dot Alberta’s landscape from elections past are run by a hospital board. The way these arrangements are structured the hospital boards own the hospital. The Government keeps an eye on the funding totals.

The structure is set up so any hospital, any part of a hospital, any health region can be sold all or in part to who ever the Government decides on selling it to. The Health region is responsible for building new hospitals. That is not to say they cannot sell the same new multi billion hospital to still another private company for a dollar.

The rules in this kind of transaction ring familiar. The Health Region must get a “fair value” for Alberta.

John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca