CTV News Edmonton has reported:

Fifteen per cent of Alberta physicians surveyed said they would continue living and practising in the province if Alberta became an independent country, while more than half said they would leave, according to the Alberta Medical Association (AMA). Fewer than one-quarter were uncertain about what they would do, the association said in results published Tuesday.

The survey included 1,649 physicians. Those who said they would leave indicated they would move to another Canadian province or territory; a small percentage said they would retire or leave medicine earlier than planned.

The results were published in a letter from AMA president Dr. Heidi Fell during the first of five days of advance voting on separation. The official referendum day is Oct. 19. “As Albertans prepare to vote, the AMA is focused on an important question,” Fell wrote. “What could the referendum outcomes mean for patients, physicians and Alberta’s health-care system?”

Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party government has placed 10 questions on the ballot. The 10th asks whether Alberta should remain in Canada or hold a second, binding referendum on leaving the country. The first nine concern Canada’s Constitution and immigration, including whether the government should impose limits and financial fees on newcomers and temporary workers accessing health care.

The AMA said separation could reduce the province’s medical workforce and leave health care in an independent Alberta in limbo. Fell said it is unclear how the province would replace the federal health-care funding it would lose. “In addition to assuming federal health-care funding responsibilities, significant health-care concerns remain, including maintaining access to medicines, equipment and medical services,” she said.

Fell also raised questions about how the immigration-related ballot measures could affect health care if the government receives a mandate to implement them. She wrote to the province’s health ministers last week seeking clarification, including what physicians should do when someone needs necessary care but their eligibility cannot be confirmed immediately. She also asked how eligibility questions could be resolved without delaying care.

“Physicians often need to make clinical decisions before a patient’s identity, residency status or coverage can be verified,” Fell said. “Our position is straightforward: uncertainty about coverage should not unnecessarily delay care, and physicians and their staff should not be placed in the position of determining or enforcing a patient’s immigration or coverage status.”

Fell said the AMA hopes to hear from the government soon. “Ultimately, we believe questions about coverage should be addressed through a reliable and timely administrative process so physicians can remain focused on clinical decisions and patients can receive the care they need.”

The office of Hospitals Minister Adriana LaGrange said it is reviewing the AMA’s letter. “It would be inappropriate to speculate on the outcome of the referendum or any technical legislative, policy or program changes that may follow until Albertans have had their say,” the office said in an email Tuesday.

The Canadian Press first published the report on Oct. 14, 2026. It was written by Fakiha Baig.