Medical Staff Concerned Alberta's New Testing Regime May Leave Them Overwhelmed

Medical staff concerned Alberta's new testing regime may leave them overwhelmed

Alberta's new testing regime that allows individuals to pay out of pocket for diagnostic scans came into effect on Friday, with the province saying it will alleviate wait times and expedite diagnoses, though medical staff are bracing for an influx of tests that they say could leave them overwhelmed and patients waiting even longer.

Letters: Will public equipment be used for private health testing?

Re: Alberta allowing patients to self-refer, pay out of pocket for preventative health testing (July 27). My biggest question is whose equipment for MRI, CT scans, X-ray etc., are they using? Is it the very equipment paid for by taxpayers? The very equipment that is a part of our public health-care system. Are those persons that can afford private health care getting a tax break? Or are they good with using the public equipment meant for public …

Does Alberta have the capacity for self-referred testing?

EDMONTON – Alberta’s new testing regime that allows individuals to pay out of pocket for diagnostic scans came into effect last Friday, with the province saying it will alleviate wait times and expedite diagnoses. However, medical staff are bracing for an influx of tests that they say could leave them overwhelmed and patients waiting even longer. The testing changes allow Albertans to self-refer and then pay for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),…