The Alberta government has officially confirmed its intention to change the rules governing access to certain private medical screenings. On April 13, 2026, the province introduced Bill 29, Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2026, which, if passed, would allow Albertans to undergo certain private preventive tests without a doctor’s referral. This is explicitly stated on the Alberta government’s official page dedicated to the new bill.
It is important to note that this is currently “proposed legislation,” meaning proposed changes, not a rule that is already in effect. Documents from the Legislative Assembly of Alberta indicate that Bill 29 was introduced for first reading on April 13, 2026, by Minister Adriana LaGrange. This means the bill must still undergo further stages of consideration in the provincial legislature.
The government’s official wording is quite specific and crucial for understanding the news. The government is not promising unlimited access to any private diagnostic procedures. Alberta.ca states that if Bill 29 is passed, residents of the province will be able to receive “certain private preventative health tests without a referral”—that is, only certain private preventive tests without a referral.
The text of the bill also points to this same logic. Bill 29 includes definitions of “preventative health testing services” and “self-referral,” where “self-referral” is described as obtaining or attempting to obtain preventative testing services from a regulated health professional without a referral from another regulated health professional. Separately, the bill provides that the minister may later establish, by regulation, the conditions, restrictions, and criteria for such self-referrals and the preventive testing services themselves.
In other words, at this stage, the government has not yet released a complete list of tests that will fall under the new rules. The official website explicitly states that the province promises to provide more information later this spring, specifically regarding which preventive tests will be available, what criteria will apply, how reimbursement will work for eligible individuals, and exactly how Albertans will be able to access these services.
Another important point is that the new initiative does not eliminate existing public coverage for routine medical referrals. The Alberta government specifically emphasizes that, under the Public Health Guarantee, all tests recommended by a practicing healthcare professional will continue to be fully covered and prioritized at all facilities—both public and private. This means that the bill does not replace the standard medical pathway through a doctor, but creates an additional mechanism for certain private preventive services.
In its explanation, the government states that this model is intended to help people detect health issues earlier, when intervention is simpler, cheaper, and more effective. Alberta.ca also notes that this change is intended to make it easier for people to proactively manage their own health while reducing the burden on the public system.
However, as of now, it would be premature to say that Alberta has already “allowed private screenings without a doctor’s referral.” It would be more accurate to say that the government has proposed changes that could, in the future, open access to some private preventive tests without a referral. The bill has not yet completed its passage through the legislature, and the province promises to release key technical details separately.
If Bill 29 is passed and later enacted, Alberta will effectively launch a new self-referral model for certain types of preventive testing. For now, however, residents should follow the current rules: a specific list of private tests available without a referral has not yet been published, and the mechanism itself has not yet taken effect.