Alberta will change how it funds surgeries starting next year. Instead of paying hospitals upfront based on projected service targets, the province will pay for surgeries actually performed—an “activity-based” model used in other countries with universal health care and comparably shorter wait times.
Premier Danielle Smith announced the change earlier this month, saying the current funding model lacks accountability, with hospitals often missing their targets or stalling on surgical procedures to use their global funding in other ways.
