Current Wait Time: 22 Weeks → Upgrade recommended
Giving Albertans more choice over their own health care

AHS+

In accordance with the Canada Health Act, Alberta maintains a publicly administered health care system that guarantees universal access to medically necessary services, while continuing to explore additional options to enhance patient choice, physician flexibility and premium experiences for those who want them.

Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan Subscription Tiers

Three simple options to experience the same universal system in completely different ways.

FREE

Basic

$0
Classic access. Character building included.
  • Personal Health Card: ✅
  • Hospital and health care services: ✅ Subject to triage, staffing, regional service alignment, evolving system priorities and operational capacity across the province and all four health care agencies.
  • Joint replacements and cataract surgeries: ✅ Free. Up to 22 weeks for standard monoclonal cataract procedures and 25 months for joint replacements.
  • Treatment for life-threatening conditions: ✅ Guaranteed referral and diagnostic imaging.
  • Primary care doctor: ❌ Finding a doctor is your personal responsibility.
  • Continuity of care: ❌
  • Timely surgeries: ❌
  • Addictions treatment: ◐ Accessed through the Compassionate Intervention Act.
  • Dentistry: ❌
  • Ambulance: ❌
STANDARD

AHS Plus

Dynamic Pricing
Prices and discounts based on daily step count, biometric improvements and health services utilization patterns.
  • Personal Health Card: ✅
  • Hospital and health care services: ✅ May result in decreased wait times.
  • Joint replacements and cataract surgeries: ✅ Starting at only $2,000 per eye and $20,000 per joint. Get shorter wait times with direct billing.
  • Treatment for life-threatening conditions: ✅ Slightly faster diagnostic imaging and follow-up.
  • Primary care doctor: ✅ Waitlist enrollment guaranteed.
  • Continuity of care: ◐ Accessed through MyChart by MyHealth Records.
  • Timely surgeries: ◐ Available most evenings and weekends.
  • Addictions treatment: ◐ Accessed through the Compassionate Intervention Act.
  • Dentistry: ❌ Ask your employer about benefits.
  • Ambulance: ❌
ELITE

AHS Platinum formerly AHS Vintage

$7,000/month
Best value. $70,000/year billed annually. Save 17%.
  • Personal Health Card: ✅ Collect MyHealth Loyalty Points™ when you present your card to your intake nurse
  • Hospital and health care services: ✅ Priority triage bypass and direct access to participating specialists. Pre-book with accumulated points.
  • Joint replacements and cataract surgeries: ✅ Immediate bookings, choice of surgical facility and surgeon, comfort package upgrades and flowers from Sam Mraiche.
  • Treatment for life-threatening conditions: ✅ Expedited screenings, diagnostics and treatment.
  • Primary care doctor: ✅ Personal physician and multidisciplinary health team at your beck and call.
  • Continuity of care: ✅ Platinum Primary Care Team ensures smooth transition between all four health agencies.
  • Timely surgeries: ✅ Expedite your elective surgeries with accumulated MyHealth Loyalty Points™.
  • Addictions treatment: ✅ Choose from any centre licensed by Alberta Recovery Model.
  • Dentistry: ❌ If you are in this column, you can afford good teeth.
  • Ambulance: ❌ There are no free rides.
Features Basic AHS Plus AHS Platinum
Alberta Personal Health Card ✅ ✅ ✅ Includes MyHealth Loyalty Points™
Access to medically necessary hospital and health care services ✅ Subject to triage, staffing, regional service alignment, evolving system priorities and operational capacity across the province and all four healthcare agencies1 ✅ May result in decreased wait times2 ✅ Priority triage bypass and direct access to participating specialists. Pre-book with accumulated points
Joint replacements and cataract surgeries ✅ Free. Up to 22 weeks for standard monoclonal cataract procedures and 25 months for joint replacements3 ✅ Starting at only $2,000 per eye and $20,000 per joint4. Get shorter wait times with direct billing5 ✅ Immediate bookings, choice of surgical facility and surgeon, comfort package upgrades and flowers from Sam Mraiche
Treatment for life-threatening conditions ✅ Guaranteed referral and diagnostic imaging6 ✅ Slightly faster diagnostic imaging and follow-up ✅ Expedited screenings, diagnostics and treatment
Primary care doctor ❌ Finding a doctor is your personal responsibility7 ✅ Waitlist enrollment guaranteed8 ✅ Personal physician and multidisciplinary health team at your beck and call
Continuity of care ❌ ◐ Accessed through MyChart by MyHealth Records9 ✅ Platinum Primary Care Team (PriCT) ensure smooth transition between all four health agencies
Timely surgeries ❌ ◐ Available most evenings and weekends ✅ Expedite your elective surgeries with accumulated MyHealth Loyalty Points™
Addictions treatment ◐ Accesssed through the Compassionate Intervention Act10 ◐ Accesssed through the Compassionate Intervention Act ✅ Choose from any centre licensed by Alberta Recovery Model
Dentistry ❌ ❌ Ask your employer about benefits ❌ If you are in this column, you can afford good teeth.
Ambulance11 ❌ Market price ❌ Market price ❌ There are no free rides

Frequently Asked Questions

Of course. Everyone still gets access. Some people also get shortcuts, concierge treatment and flowers. But technically, yes.

It’s what happens when we turn basic needs into premium upgrades.

Because nothing says "modernizing" public policy like earning points while waiting to see whether your chart still exists.

Yes. Finding one remains a personal growth exercise unless you upgrade.

Yes. The jokes are satire. The push toward tiered health care is not.

Testimonials

“I upgraded and my surgery was scheduled this decade.”

AHS Plus member

“AHS Plus changed my life. I now sit behind a curtain.”

Former hallway tier patient

“Platinum got me flowers, a surgeon and the distinct feeling public policy has left the chat.”

AHS Platinum member
1 Check the website for rural ER closures before driving all that way.
2 Still subject to operational capacity across the province and all four health care agencies.
3 Wait times subject to extensions based on capacity.
4 Prices do not include pre-and post-op care, medications, physiotherapy or specialized equipment.
5 Guaranteed within benchmark. Which is a fun way to redefine fast.
6 Diagnostic imaging wait time estimated at 9 to 12 months, and 13 weeks for oncology follow-up.
7 Doctor availability estimated as unknown.
8 The market, we are assured, will sort this out. Register with multiple practices and dream big.
9 Keep a binder of all medical records on your person at all times while files move between agencies.
10 Compassionate Intervention Act allows court ordered addiction treatment when an individual is deemed a risk to themselves or others.
11 Surge pricing may apply.

This website is a work of satire from the team at Forward Weekly. But Bill 11 and the push toward tiered health care in Alberta are real.

Take urgent action now by visiting NoTwoTier.ca to sign the petition and send a letter to the federal government to defend universal public health care in Canada.

About the Author: Natasha Chiam is an Edmonton-based writer who has had four joint replacement surgeries through the public health-care system, thanks her lucky stars that a retiring primary care doctor passed her chart on to a successor and believes we should never have gotten rid of Alberta Health Care premiums.