Growing demand in Alberta for diagnostic imaging, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT), means more appointments are being made months in advance, with some Albertans waiting longer one year to obtain a state-funded exam.

Alberta Health Services says it is aiming to increase the number of such exams performed this year by about 57,000 and is contracting out a small percentage to private operators.

“With our growing and aging population, we know we need to do more, so we are absolutely looking at how we can increase those numbers,” said Adriana LaGrange, Alberta Health Minister.

Karen Smee of Calgary says she lives every day with unbearable pain and needs an MRI of her spine to make a proper diagnosis.

She received a referral from her doctor last month and was scheduled for a scan in March 2026.

“At first I looked at (my appointment letter) and I was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s been five months, it’s next March. Well, that’s not too bad.'” , she said.

“Then I realized I had got the year wrong and it was actually 17 months, or 2026.”

Many private diagnostic operators in Alberta are available for MRI and CT scan appointments within days or weeks, but they cost several hundred dollars and insurance does not cover the price in most cases.

Albertans like Smee must decide whether to pay out of pocket or wait months and months for care.

She says not everyone can afford to skip the lines and some patients are further left behind in the queue for treatment or surgery.

“It’s extremely frustrating, and it feels like we’re no longer in a publicly funded health care system, that there really is a two-tiered system,” Smee said.

“And I believe I may be among the majority of Albertans who cannot afford to pay for these expensive tests.”

More analyzes in progress: AHS

According to the AHS, more than 255,000 MRIs and nearly 596,000 CT scans were performed last year, a jump of about 12.5 percent from the previous year.

From April to the end of September this year, more than 134,000 MRI exams were publicly funded in Alberta.

Nearly 8,900 of these analyzes have been outsourced to private operators, just under 7% of the total so far this year.

“We need to make sure we don’t end up in a situation where we’re just two different types of care on multiple levels,” said Mark Holland, Canada’s health minister.

“This problem needs to be fixed and we need to reduce these delays. And I’m here to work with the province of Alberta to make that happen.”

Stephen Beggs lives in the Edmonton area and has worked with his doctor for over three years to properly diagnose and treat a sinus problem.

He finally got a referral and an appointment, but that’s nine months away.

Instead of waiting and delaying his treatment, he decided to seek help from a private operator.

“The cost is $400 to get a scan, and it’s due Tuesday afternoon instead of waiting another nine months,” Beggs told CTV News.

“Not everyone has the money available to use private health care. It’s incredibly troubling.”

Alberta spends about $1 billion each year on diagnostic imaging, which includes MRIs, CT scans, ultrasounds, X-rays and mammograms.

Funding has increased recently, including $45 million over three years to outsource MRI treatments to private centers.