Alberta third province to sign health-care funding deal with Ottawa

Alberta has signed a $1.06 billion, three-year deal with the federal government to help fund improvements to the province’s health-care system.

It’s the third province to come to an agreement with Ottawa after British Columbia signed a similar one in October and Prince Edward Island inked its deal on Tuesday.

The bilateral deals are part of a $196-billion, 10-year national health accord Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered to premiers in February.

Provinces and territories are expected to commit to massive upgrades to digital medical records and the collection of health-care data, as well as being held to account for meeting targets and timelines.

Alberta says it will use the money to increase access to primary care providers, improve diagnostic imaging capacity, enhance Albertans’ ability to access digital health services and expand integrated services for youth mental health.

Quebec remains the only province that hasn’t agreed in principle to the accord, with Premier François Legault pushing back against conditions the federal government has put on the funding.