January 10, 2023
Alta. premier Danielle Smith floated the idea of health spending accounts for Albertans in a 2021 paper for the University of Calgary School of Public Policy. The implication then was individuals would have to pay for their own HSAs to cover medical expenses that don't fall under the public healthcare system. As premier, Smith is willing to push forward with the proposal, asking the provincial technology and innovation minister to develop the architecture for an HSA program. The premier notes HSAs are integral to many private healthcare plans offered by employers, adding the program would provide Alta. an extra layer of autonomy from Ottawa.