Alberta Publishes Catalogue of Private Preventative Health Imaging Tests

Alberta Health has published a new catalogue outlining the private, self-referred diagnostic imaging tests residents can access outside the province's public health system, giving patients a clearer picture of what's available and at what cost.

The Preventative Health Testing Services Diagnostic Imaging Catalogue, updated July 31, lists the CT, MRI, ultrasound and X-ray exams available through private diagnostic clinics for patients who choose to pay out of pocket rather than wait for a physician referral through the public system. The province says the catalogue is meant to improve transparency for Albertans considering private preventative testing.

Self-referral, patient-choice diagnostic imaging has grown in popularity as some Albertans look to bypass wait times for non-urgent scans. The catalogue gives clinics and patients a standard reference point for what services are classified as preventative health testing under provincial rules.

The release comes alongside updated Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan guidance clarifying the rules around patient choice and self-referral for preventative testing, part of a broader push by the province to formalize how private diagnostic imaging fits alongside the public health care system.