EDMONTON - Public Interest Alberta and Friends of Medicare are raising the alarm following Premier Smith’s private remarks today at the Alberta Continuing Care Association’s Annual Conference. The Premier championed  the explicit privatization and “uberization” of continuing care, signaling further restructuring and for-profit care in the immediate future.

“Today’s announcement should be sent on a one-way uber trip to the United States,” said Bradley Lafortune, Executive Director of Public Interest Alberta. “The proposed changes will wreak further havoc for seniors and Albertans in a continuing care system that is already in crisis.”

As part of the Premier’s announcement, continuing care will be severed from the other pillars of health care, under the purview of Minister Jason Nixon. This restructuring will do nothing to improve access to the health care services Albertans rely on.

“Albertans don’t fall into one category when they need care – they are one person and need seamless access to all pillars of health care,” said Chris Gallaway Executive Director of Friends of Medicare. “Instead, Premier Smith is creating more chaos, splitting off continuing care from the rest of the health care system in order to sell it off.”

“The only beneficiaries of today’s announcement are for-profit interests. Alberta’s seniors and those in need of continuing care deserve better,” said Lafortune. 

“What the system needs is adequate funding, minimum care and staffing standards, and a workforce plan,” said Gallaway. “What we got today was a backroom announcement.”

Public Interest Alberta and Friends of Medicare continue to ask Albertans to join the call for minimum care staffing hours by signing on to our letter-writing campaign.