Out-of-province referrals for non-insured services: expenses patients should know about

Clear communication is essential for successful patient care. If you are referring a patient to a private, out-of-province clinic for a non-insured service, it’s important to inform them about any related out-of-pocket expenses. Your patient should know in advance what costs will be covered under the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP), and what costs will not be covered and are the patient’s responsibility.

Before patients book elective services outside Alberta, they should contact Alberta Health’s Out-of-Province/Out-of-Country Unit at Health.HCIPAOOPOOC@gov.ab.ca to find out about restrictions and limitations on coverage.

Additional resources

• Review our standard of practice on Referral Consultation
• Learn more about healthcare services covered outside of Alberta
• See Alberta Health’s physician’s resource guide (section 4.10 and 5)