By Canadian Press

constitutional challenge

Alberta doctors file lawsuit against province after changes to billing

Apr 9, 2020 | 12:02 PM

EDMONTON — The Alberta Medical Association has filed a lawsuit against the province after the United Conservative government went ahead with changes to how doctors can bill for their services.

The association’s president, Dr. Christine Molnar, says in a letter to physicians that the statement of claim was filed this morning.

Molnar says it’s “incredulous” that the association had to file a constitutional challenge on behalf of its members in the middle of a pandemic.

But she says the province has left the association with few alternatives.

The government went ahead with changes to the physician funding framework on March 31.

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Premier Jason Kenney declined to comment on the lawsuit, but maintained that Alberta physicians are the best compensated in Canada.

“We want to support our physicians. We believe they should not only be paid fairly but generously,” he told reporters Thursday.

“What we need to do is prevent that kind of compensation from getting even more out of whack with the rest of the country in the future.”

Total physician compensation remains flat at $5.4 billion in the government’s 2020-21 budget, but the new funding framework will change how doctors are paid for their work.

Doctors have said that the changes will force hundreds of clinics across the province, particularly in rural areas, to reduce staff or close their doors.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on April 9, 2020

The Canadian Press