Bill 11, formally the Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 (No. 2), was introduced in late October 2025 and received Royal Assent on December 11, 2025. Once in force, it will amend the Alberta Health Care Insurance Act, RSA 2000, c A-20 to change how health coverage is coordinated in Alberta.
What does Bill 11 do?
Bill 11 makes two key changes to Alberta health coverage:
- Private health plans will pay first.
Currently, when an individual has both private and a government-sponsored benefits plan, the government plan pays first and the private plan is the payor of last resort.[1] The private plan pays only for costs beyond the government’s coverage or services the government plan does not cover. Bill 11 reverses this order: private coverage must pay first, and the government becomes the payor of last resort.[2]
2. Employer-sponsored drug and supplemental benefits plans cannot change coverage based on age.
Most employer-sponsored drug and supplemental benefits plans currently end coverage at the age of 65. Bill 11 will prohibit plans from changing coverage based on an employee’s age, requiring them to continue coverage beyond the age of 65 where it would otherwise end.[3]
What benefits are affected?
Depending on the program, affected benefits may include:
- Prescription drugs
- Land ambulance services
- Clinical psychological services
- Home nursing care
- Chiropractic services
- Prosthetic and orthotic benefits
- Mastectomy prosthesis
- Hospital accommodation
Coverage for dental, life insurance, disability and travel insurance is not affected.
Key takeaways for employers
Employers must review their group benefits plans for compliance with the amended Alberta Health Care Insurance Act, RSA 2000, c A-20. They may need to add employees over the age of 65 back to their plans. As eligible costs shift from provincial to private coverage, group benefits costs are expected to increase.
Timeline and next steps
The amendments take effect October 1, 2026. We encourage employers to engage their benefits advisors, insurers and legal counsel now to redesign existing plans, develop a renewal strategy and ensure compliance. The preparation window is narrow, so proactive planning is essential.
For more information on how Bill 11 may affect your organization, please contact Jennifer Thompson.
Special thanks to our Student-at-Law Bayley Wachsmuth for her contribution in preparing this article.
[1] Bill 11, Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 (No. 2), 2nd Sess, 31st Leg, Alberta, 2025, cl 77(3).
[2] Ibid at cl 77(2).
[3] Ibid at cl 78(1).
