Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2026 (Unproclaimed Sections Only)

HEALTH STATUTES AMENDMENT ACT, 2026 Chapter 9 HIS MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, enacts as follows: Alberta Health Care Insurance Act Amends RSA 2000 cA‑20 1 (1) The Alberta Health Care Insurance Act is amended by this section. (2) The following is added before the enacting clause: Preamble WHEREAS the Government of Alberta is committed to protecting, promoting and improving the health and well‑being of Albertans; WHEREAS the Government of Alberta is committed to improving access to the health care system, without financial barriers; and WHEREAS the Government of Alberta supports individuals having a choice in how they access care; (3) The enacting clause is amended by adding “THEREFORE” before “HER MAJESTY”. (4) Section 1 is amended (a) by repealing clause (k) and substituting the following: (k) “extended health services” means, except in section 26, the following goods and services: (i) preventative health testing services; (ii) goods and services or classes of goods and services that are specified in the regulations; (b) by adding the following after clause (w): (w.01) “preventative health testing services” means goods and services or classes of goods and services that are (i) provided by a practitioner, (ii) made available through a self‑referral, and (iii) specified by the Minister by order as preventative health testing services; (c) by adding the following after clause (x): (x.1) “self‑referral” means a self‑referral as defined in the Health Professions Act . (5) Section 3 is amended (a) in subsection (2) by adding “referred to in section 1(k)(ii)” after “services”; (b) by adding the following after subsection (2): (2.1) The Minister shall, in accordance with the regulations, provide extended health services referred to in section 1(k)(i) to residents. (6) Section 4 is amended (a) in subsection (2.2) by adding “except claims for benefits for preventative health testing services,” after “subsection (2),”; (b) by adding the following after subsection (5): (5.1) For the purposes of determining whether benefits are payable to a resident, the Minister may collect, use or disclose information prescribed in the regulations, including the resident’s individually identifying health information as those terms are defined in section 22(25). (c) by adding the following after subsection (6): (7) Notwithstanding subsection (6), a resident has no right of appeal in relation to the denial of a payment of a claim for benefits for preventative health testing services. (7) The following is added after section 6: Ministerial orders — preventative health testing services 6.1 The Minister may, by order, do the following: (a) specify goods and services or classes of goods and services as preventative health testing services for the purposes of section 1(w.01)(iii); (b) set the rates of benefits payable in respect of preventative health testing services. (8) Section 16(1) is amended by adding the following after clause (q): (r) respecting the application, non‑application or variation of the application of this Part or the regulations, in whole or in part, to preventative health testing services. (9) Section 17 is amended (a) by repealing clause (a) and substituting the following: (a) respecting the rates of benefits payable in respect of basic health services or extended health services, except for rates of benefits set by order of the Minister under section 6.1(b); (b) by repealing clause (b) and substituting the following: (b) respecting claims for benefits, including the manner in which and the persons to whom benefits are to be paid, the conditions of payment, the information required to be submitted in connection with a claim for benefits and the period within which a claim for benefits is to be submitted; (c) by adding the following after clause (d): (e) prescribing information for the purposes of section 4(5.1). (10) Section 18(1) is amended by adding “, except a claim for benefits for preventative health testing services,” after “section 4(2)”. (12) Section 26(1) is amended by adding the following after clause (a): (a.1) “extended health services” means goods and services or classes of goods and services that are specified in the regulations but does not include preventative health testing services; (13) The following is added after section 26: Payor of last resort — preventative health testing services 26.1 (1) In this section, “insurer” means an insurer as defined in section 26(1)(b). (2) If a resident is entitled to claim benefits for preventative health testing services from an insurer, benefits for preventative health testing services may be paid under the Plan to a resident only if (a) the resident is entitled to receive the benefit under the Plan, and (b) the resident has submitted a claim for the benefit to the insurer and the insurer (i) paid none of the amount claimed, (ii) paid only part of the amount claimed, (iii) deemed the resident not to be entitled to receive the benefit, or (iv) denied the claim. (3) The amount of a benefit paid under the Plan under subsection (2) must (a) be paid in accordance with this Act and the regulations, (b) not be greater than the portion of the claim that was not paid by the insurer, and (c) not be greater than the applicable rate of benefits set by the Minister under section 6.1(b). (18) Subsections (2) to (10) and (12) and (13) come into force on Proclamation. Health Professions Act Amends RSA 2000 cH‑7 6 (1) The Health Professions Act is amended by this section. (2) Section 1(1) is amended (a) by adding the following after clause (m): (m.01) “eligible individual” means an individual who meets the eligibility requirements set out in the regulations for a self‑referral; (b) by adding the following after clause (cc): (cc.1) “preventative health testing services” means preventative health testing services as defined in Part 1 of the Alberta Health Care Insurance Act ; (c) by adding the following after clause (nn): (nn.001) “self‑referral” means the process by which an eligible individual obtains or seeks to obtain preventative health testing services from a regulated member without a referral from another regulated member; (3) Section 1.3 is amended by adding the following after subsection (2): (3) For the purposes of subsection (1)(k), (m), (n) and (o), in respect of preventative health testing services, a self‑referral does not constitute an order or prescription for those services. (4) The following is added after section 1.94: Regulations re preventative health testing services — conditions, restrictions and limitations 1.941 The Minister may make regulations respecting conditions, restrictions or limitations that apply to self-referrals or preventative health testing services. (5) Section 134.1 is repealed and the following is substituted: Ministerial regulations 134.1 The Minister may make regulations (a) respecting eligibility requirements for the purposes of section 1(1)(m.01); (b) respecting inspectors, inspections and inspection committees for the purposes of Part 3.1. (6) This section comes into force on Proclamation. Pharmacy and Drug Act Amends RSA 2000 cP-13 9 (1) The Pharmacy and Drug Act is amended by this section. (2) Section 1 is amended (a) in subsection (1) (i) in clause (z.1) (A) by adding the following after subclause (iii): (iii.1) a record of all written orders the pharmacy receives, including an identification of the written orders that the pharmacy transfers to another pharmacy or pharmacist, (B) by adding the following after subclause (iv): (iv.1) a record of all drugs sold from or through the pharmacy under a written order, including the written order, the name of the drug, the amount sold and the name and contact information of the regulated health professional to whom the drugs are sold, (C) in subclause (v) by adding “or sold” after “dispensed”; (ii) by adding the following after clause (aa): (aa.01) “regulated health professional” means a person (i) who is a regulated member under the Health Professions Act , other than a regulated member described in clause (aa.1), and (ii) who is authorized by an Act of the Legislature of Alberta or an Act of Parliament to prescribe a Schedule 1 drug; (iii) by adding the following after clause (ee): (ff) “written order” means a written order issued under Part 3.1 directing that a drug be sold to the regulated health professional named in the written order. (b) in subsection (2) (i) by striking out “this Act and codes” and substituting “this Act, codes”; (ii) by adding “and Ministerial orders under section 29.3” after “adopted under this Act”. (3) Section 10(1)(d) is amended by adding the following after subclause (iii): (iii.1) all drugs sold to a regulated health professional are sold under a written order that has been received by the pharmacy, (4) Section 29.1 is amended (a) by adding the following after subsection (1.1): (1.2) Subject to a Ministerial order under section 29.3, the council shall, in accordance with procedures set out in the bylaws, develop or propose the adoption of standards for the operation of licensed pharmacies respecting written orders, including, without limitation, standards (a) respecting the selling of drugs under a written order, and (b) respecting the content of written orders. (1.3) The council may make the standards developed or proposed for adoption under subsection (1.1) applicable, in whole or in part or with modifications, to written orders. (b) by repealing subsection (3) and substituting the following: (3) A council (a) may adopt a code of ethics and standards for the operation of licensed pharmacies after it has reviewed and considered the comments received from a review described in subsection (2) as it relates to ethics and standards described in subsections (1) and (1.1), and (b) shall adopt standards for the operation of licensed pharmacies after it has reviewed and considered the comments received from a review described in subsection (2) as it relates to standards described in subsection (1.2). (5) The following is added after section 29.1: Part 3.1 Written Orders Written orders 29.2 (1) This section applies in respect of Schedule 1 drugs that are authorized for sale under section 29.3(1)(a). (2) A regulated health professional may issue a written order directing that a specified quantity of a drug be sold to that regulated health professional. (3) A drug sold to a regulated health professional shall only be used for the purpose of providing treatment to patients in accordance with a Ministerial order under section 29.3(1). (4) A written order is not a regulation as defined in the Interpretation Act . Ministerial orders 29.3 (1) The Minister may, by order, (a) determine the Schedule 1 drugs or classifications of Schedule 1 drugs that are authorized for sale by written order, (b) determine the maximum quantity of drugs to which a written order may apply, (c) determine any processes or procedures that a regulated health professional must follow with respect to drugs to which a written order may apply, (d) impose limits or restrictions respecting written orders or the drugs to which a written order may apply, or (e) make any other determination the Minister considers necessary with respect to written orders or the drugs to which a written order may apply. (2) The Regulations Act does not apply to a Ministerial order made under this section. (6) Section 31 is amended (a) by repealing subsection (2)(a) and substituting the following: (a) be compounded, dispensed or sold pursuant to a prescription, (b) by adding the following after subsection (2): (2.1) Subject to Part 3.1 and the standards adopted under section 29.1(1.2), Schedule 1 drugs that are authorized by a Ministerial order under section 29.3(1)(a) may be sold under a written order. (7) This section comes into force on Proclamation.