Alberta’s health system is under extraordinary pressure. Physicians are feeling that pressure across the system, but the fundamental question for Albertans remains simple: can patients get the care they need, when they need it?
Primary care – The foundation we cannot afford to weaken
The AMA's second annual State of Health Care report shows Albertans are confident in the quality and skill of their physicians and health care teams, but have less confidence in the system's ability to provide timely access to care when and where it's needed.
Today, government announced a $172.3 million investment in physician compensation as part of the final year of the current Master Agreement (2022-26).
Last week, you should have received a link to complete the latest AMA Member Tracking Survey. I encourage you to take a few minutes to share your experience. Your feedback gives us timely insight into the realities you are facing in practice and helps ensure our advocacy, priorities and member support reflect what physicians are experiencing right now.
Over the past several months, many of you have raised important questions about what expanded dual practice could mean for patients, physicians and the future of our publicly funded health care system — especially since Bill 11 (Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 (No. 2)) was introduced.
Below you will find previous issues of The President's Letter. For older issues no longer on the website, contact us.
In my President’s Letter yesterday I mentioned there are issues with enabling the profession to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. I wanted to share with you what I believe is needed in order to provide patients with the care they need.
This afternoon, government announced that the proposed changes to physicians’ payments for the Complex (Time) Modifier will not go ahead as planned on April 1, 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic represents an unprecedented public health challenge. During these times of crisis, adhering to the public health direction as a single source of truth is imperative.
The AMA has been consulting with public health leaders with respect to holding the Representative Forum in person this weekend during the current COVID 19 pandemic. (Just this morning, the World Health Organization officially announced that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic.)
I am pleased to advise you that discussions continue next week with the Alberta government in an attempt toward a physician agreement that provides value for patients, fairness for physicians and affordability for the system.
Government has unilaterally terminated our agreement and imposed their dictates on the profession. My February 26 President’s Letter provided a list of actions and activities that the AMA is undertaking in response. Today, I provide an update on a number of those items.
Government has tabled its second provincial budget. The budget reflects the devastating cuts to physician payments that were announced last week and the hostile action of this ministry in tearing up our Alberta Medical Association contract.
Tomorrow government tables its latest budget in the Legislature. This event will generate a lot of noise in the media and spark further public debate. We do not expect a significant change to our situation. Government has torn up the agreement with the profession and continues with some ill-conceived changes that will be destructive to your practices and to our health care system.
The termination of our master agreement is an outrageous action that must be challenged. Government is putting physicians and patients at risk. The AMA Board met last night and will meet again Sunday. We are reaching out to all sections and zone medical staff associations to discuss: legal options; plans for engaging the public; the results of our surveys (“Yes” patients overwhelmingly value their time with their doctor and feel that sometimes more is needed; “No” patients don’t agree with the tearing up of contracts); and next steps needed to get government’s attention.
write to you today with great concern for our public health care system in Alberta. Today, the Minister of Health announced that government is ending its master agreement with physicians and enacting the 11 consultation proposals they tabled in November of last year. I wanted to share with you the following statement that we have issued in response.