Alberta Unveils Surgery Funding Model Tied to Work Completed Instead of Budgeted Capacity

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith (R) stands with Health Minister Adriana LaGrange following a swearing-in ceremony in Calgary on May 16, 2025. The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntoshAlberta is launching an $809 million “patient-focused” surgery funding model beginning in a dozen public hospitals throughout the province that will see them receive a predetermined price for each surgery performed, rather than relying on a fixed annual budget.“It’s a system that aligns the incentives the right way,” Premier Danielle Smith said at a June 1 press conference in Calgary. “It rewards hospitals for treating more patients instead of making every patient a cost.”