Premier and United Conservative Party Leader Danielle Smith has announced a public health guarantee for her political party, April 11, 2023. (Photo: United Conservative Party)

By David Opinko/LethbridgeNewsNOW

Provincial Politics

Premier Danielle Smith announces UCP public health guarantee

Apr 11, 2023 | 12:23 PM

The leader of the United Conservative Party (UCP) has made a commitment to Albertans to protect the publicly-funded health care system.

Premier Danielle Smith said a UCP government will remain committed to ensuring that Albertans have access to world-class healthcare, where and when they need it, through a publicly-funded system.

Smith said in a statement, “Under a re-elected UCP government, no Albertan will ever have to pay for a doctor out of pocket.”

“I want to be clear: under the UCP’s Public Health Care Guarantee, we are committing to all Albertans that under no circumstances will any Albertan ever have to pay out-of-pocket to see their family doctor or to get the medical treatment they need,” said Smith. “And it means that a UCP government, under my leadership, will not de-list any medical services or prescriptions now covered by Alberta Health Insurance. No exceptions. You will only ever need your Alberta health card.”

According to the statement, the UCP’s “very ambitious agenda” to improve health care outcomes has already lead to improvements, such as deceasing wait times for ambulances, emergency departments, and surgeries.

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“Our UCP government is committed to moving Alberta forward and ensuring Albertans can always access world-class health care, where and when they need it, through a publicly funded health care system,” said Smith. “We cannot afford to go back to the NDP raising taxes and driving away jobs and growth, undercutting the critical funding we need to improve healthcare outcomes for Albertans.”

In November 2022, the Alberta NDP demanded that Smith come clean on past comments she made about pursuing the introduction of user fees for healthcare.

This followed Smith’s mandate letter to Health Minister Jason Copping after she was sworn in as premier in October last year. While the mandate letter outlines commitments to public health care, Smith also tasked Copping with establishing Health Spending Accounts.

Meantime, David Shepherd, Alberta NDP Critic for Health, issued the following statement in response:

“Danielle Smith, in her own words, repeatedly said that she thinks Albertans should pay out of pocket for healthcare. She’s said Albertans should pay to see the doctor. She’s said that Albertans should have to pay a deductible if they have major surgery.

“As recently as last month when we proposed that all Albertans have access to universal coverage for prescription birth control, Danielle Smith told Albertans to go buy private health insurance.

“With the UCP, Albertans will pay more. An Alberta NDP government will implement our plan for family health teams and connect a million more Albertans to a family doctor,” Shepherd said. “You will never have to pay out of pocket to see the doctor or take your kids to see the doctor. We will also launch the largest and most effective campaign to recruit healthcare workers to Alberta.”

As Albertans will no doubt recall, this is the exact same campaign tactic former UCP leader Jason Kenney used before proceeding to privatize large portions of the Alberta health care system once in power, says Friends of Medicare.

“It felt like Groundhog Day watching UCP Leader Danielle Smith make another hollow public health guarantee,” said Chris Gallaway, executive director of Friends of Medicare. “Another provincial election is just around the corner, and the UCP are using the exact same political tactic as last time. Albertans shouldn’t be fooled – the truth is the UCP government’s record in health care is littered with failed privatization schemes, siphoning off our public health care dollars for the profit of private corporations.”

The 2023 provincial election is scheduled to be held on May 29.

READ MORE: Government of Alberta announces healthcare reforms

READ MORE: Premier Smith outlines key actions for Alberta ministers in mandate letters

READ MORE: Alberta NDP calls for premier to come clean on pursuing health-care user fees