Expiry dates on Alberta’s new integrated cards combining provincial driver’s licences and health-care access mean a resident could be paying out of pocket for health services if the card is expired, the Official Opposition said Thursday. The Alberta NDP pointed out the wrinkle in the new integrated card, which the province introduced last month, while adding that they’ve heard residents in the process of replacing their licences – and thus getting new personal health numbers as a result – have been experiencing delays in getting them. Alberta health cards had long been in the spotlight as being behind the times, printed on paper and minus other features such as ID photos like those used in other provinces. An individual’s health number, however, didn’t expire on such cards. Sharif Haji, the Alberta NDP’s shadow minister for primary and preventative health services, said those who might find themselves without an integrated card while needing to access health care will have to pay for it. “To see a family physician, the government’s own website says that if your health card expires, that means that you don’t have access except emergency services,” Haji said Thursday during a media conference. “If you go to a medical doctor and your health card is expired, then you are not insured, basically meaning that you have to pay.” In a statement to CTV News Edmonton on Thursday, the ministry of primary and preventative health services said Alberta residents will receive advance notice for renewal. It said the province’s auditor general recommended that individuals’ eligibility for publicly funded health services be verified regularly, something that other provinces are already doing. “Urgent medically necessary health services will continue to be provided regardless of whether an individual has proof of insurance with them at the time they seek care,” the ministry said. “The renewal process helps ensure publicly funded health coverage is available to eligible Albertans and supports the responsible stewardship of taxpayer-funded health services.”
