Over half of Alberta doctors would leave if province separates: AMA survey

If the referendum on separation passes, many of the province’s doctors might not follow the province out of Confederation, a new survey from the Alberta Medical Association (AMA) says.

Of the 1,649 physicians responding to the AMA’s Pulse survey, over half (55 per cent) said they would move to another province or territory and discontinue practicing in Alberta if the province were to separate from Canada.

Some eight per cent of survey respondents said they’d retire or leave medical practice earlier than planned.

About 15 per cent said they’d continue living and practicing here.

Almost one in five (18 per cent) said they were uncertain what they’d do.

Just one per cent said they would continue living in Alberta but reduce or discontinue medical practice, while another one per cent said they’d move to another province or territory but continue practicing in Alberta (where permitted).

AMA president Dr. Heidi Fell said the organization’s not telling Albertans how to vote.

“At a time when access to care and health workforce capacity are important concerns for Albertans, we believe these perspectives are relevant to the wider public conversation,” Fell said.

Separation would raise questions about how $7 billion in Canada Health Transfer funds would be replaced, Fell wrote in an open letter to AMA members, noting other questions linger on federal health care funding responsibilities, and maintaining access to medicines, equipment and medical services.

Without a credible examination of these issues, Albertans can’t know the full impact separation could have on health care, particularly if fewer physicians remain to provide services, she wrote.

“Our responsibility is to identify potential health care implications, raise practical questions where greater clarity is needed, and advocate for an approach that protects patient access to medically necessary care,” Fell said.

Fell said she wrote a week ago to the Premier and Alberta’s health ministers regarding ballot questions 1 through 4, as well as the introduction of Alberta’s new health care cards.

What happens when someone needs medically necessary care but their eligibility cannot immediately be confirmed?

How would follow-up and ongoing care be handled?

What administrative responsibilities, if any, would physicians and clinic staff be expected to assume?

How would questions about eligibility and payment be resolved without unnecessarily delaying care?

“While these initiatives are distinct, they raise similar practical questions about what happens when a patient requires medically necessary care but their eligibility for publicly funded coverage cannot immediately be confirmed,” she wrote.

“Physicians often need to make clinical decisions before a patient’s identity, residency status or coverage can be verified. Our position is straightforward: uncertainty about coverage should not unnecessarily delay care, and physicians and their staff should not be placed in the position of determining or enforcing a patient’s immigration or coverage status.”

Postmedia has reached out to government health ministries for comment.

More to come. 

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