The so-called “Alberta Chaoulli” challenge to single-tier health care has been defeated in the courts.
The Ultra-Conservative Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedom (JCCF) had sponsored two cases in that province that suggested Canada’s single tier health system represented a monopoly that deprived the plaintives of life, liberty and security of the person.
The two cases both involved Albertans who paid for treatment in the United States rather than wait for timely care in their home province.
In the first case involving a Calgary businessman, the issue became not one of delay but whether doctors felt the treatment he sought was an option for treating his back pain.
The second case involving Alberta dentist Dr. Darcy Allen failed to offer any proof that more timely care would have been accessible had two-tier private insurance been available.
OPSEU Diablogue 