Alberta election promise tracker: What the parties have pledged on health care

Albertans are heading to the polls for a spring election on Tuesday, April 16.

As a way of helping you make an informed decision on election night, Global News is keeping track of all the promises made by the main parties vying for your vote.

Here is a closer look at what the parties have pledged on health care.

Alberta NDP

• Jan. 24: No implementation of a sales tax, payroll tax or health-care premiums
• Feb. 13: Commitment for “very major investment” at Red Deer hospital
• March 21: $170 million to add 2,000 new long-term beds for seniors over the next five years
• March 26: Spend an additional $90 million per year on health to further reduce surgery wait times
• March 29: Cover all prescription drug costs for middle- and low-income seniors. It’s expected the plan would cost an added $110 million a year, benefiting 80 per cent of seniors
• March 31: Launch a lawsuit against opioid medication manufacturers to recoup costs of the opioid crisis
• March 31: Pilot program for two storefront mental health clinics in Edmonton and Calgary

To see all of the promises made by the Alberta NDP, click here.

United Conservative Party

• Feb. 20: Work to reduce bureaucratic bloat in Alberta’s health-care system and explore private delivery options
• March 11: Scrap plans for a medical superlab in Edmonton
• March 28: Open more beds and expand treatment programs to help people battling drug and opioid addictions
• March 28: Not approve any new supervised drug consumption sites without extensive consultation
• March 28: Review health spending to find $200 million in administrative savings
• March 28: Explore ways to have more day procedures done by private clinics under the public system to improve service and save money

To see all of the promises made by the UCP, click here.

Alberta Party

• March 7: Mandatory vaccinations for school children who attend publicly-funded schools
• March 20: Vouchers, tax credits to help families with kids in daycare or after-school care
• March 22: Provide annual dental checkups for children 12 and under
• March 22: Work with municipalities to add fluoride to their water
• March 24: Replace paper health cards with digital identification
• April 5: Add 3,500 long-term care beds and bring in program to help older Albertans stay in their homes longer
• April 8: Immediately declare a public health emergency due to opioid crisis; increase funding for response by 50 per cent (from $45 million to $68 million)
• April 12: Complete Edmonton South Hospital, Grande Prairie Regional Hospital, Calgary Cancer Centre and Red Deer hospital expansion
• April 12: Build more non-acute care beds outside hospitals and improve home-care options
• April 12: Save $200M by halting the NDP’s plan to buy laundry machines for AHS
• April 12: Review NDP’s plan for medical superlab in Edmonton with “the aim to cancel it”

To see all of the promises made by the Alberta Party, click here.

Alberta Liberal Party

• March 26: Make abortion more accessible, particularly in rural areas
• March 26: Provide free birth control for those who do not have access
• March 26: Support trans health-care needs by funding medical procedures for transgender Albertans, and fully fund hormone treatments
• March 31: Build 2,200 new long-term beds over the next four years, invest $150 million into home care and assisted living, invest $100 million into preventative care, and create a preventative care task force
• April 1: $50-million funding for an affordable dental care program, lift restrictions on dentists being able to offer promotions or special pricing

To see all of the promises made by the Alberta Liberal Party, click here.

Promises will be tracked throughout the election campaign, so be sure to check back here for updated party platforms.