If you’re dealing with persistent joint pain, a sports injury, or mobility problems, waiting months (or years) for care can be frustrating—and in some cases, it can make recovery harder.
This page is a practical guide for prospective patients considering private orthopedic options in Calgary, AB.
Orthopedic surgeons diagnose and treat problems involving bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles. The most common reasons people seek orthopedic care include:
There are more than 300,000 surgeries performed in Alberta each year, including over 13,000 hip replacements and knee replacements.
Most orthopedic surgeries are delivered through the publicly funded system—the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP).
Private options can exist for certain services (some elective surgeries, ophthalmology, cosmetics), but many patients pursue interprovincial private surgery when timelines locally are not workable. Note: for many surgery types, you are required to travel out-of-province in order to see a private care provider.
There is an exception to this requirement though. If a surgeon is opted out of AHCIP, then they may provide their services to Albertans within Alberta.
Bill 11 may change these regulations for Albertans, however, as it would enable surgeons within Alberta to provide surgical services to Albertans.
It depends on the procedure and setting. For purely elective, non-essential surgeries (such as cosmetic and ophthalmology), Albertans can pay out of pocket for surgery within Alberta.
But for essential surgeries (e.g. hip replacements, knee arthroscopy, ACL reconstruction, etc.), the answer is generally no. That is why most Albertans who seek private surgery go out-of-province.
The exception is when a surgeon is opted out of AHCIP. Note: some of the surgeons listed above are opted out, look for the "Accepting patients from all provinces."
Yes. Note: the surgeon will likely require medical information and diagnostics (imaging, lab tests, etc.) before the consultation.
Generally, private surgeries performed in Canada are paid for out-of-pocket or via private insurance/ employer benefits.
Provincial plans (like OHIP, MSP, or AHCIP) typically do not cover procedures at private clinics, though some exceptions exist for WCB (Workers' Compensation) claims or specific inter-provincial programs.
Private insurance
Standard extended health benefits (e.g. Sun Life, Manulife) typically do not cover the cost of the surgery itself. However, they often cover related costs such as:
Health spending account
If your employer provides a Health Spending Account (HSA) or "flex account," you can often use these funds to pay for the surgery. Unlike standard benefits, HSAs are usually flexible enough to cover CRA-eligible medical expenses, including private facility fees.
Tax Credits (Federal & Provincial)
You may be able to get some financial relief at tax time.
Please consult a tax professional before claiming any private surgery fees on your taxes.
The costs for orthopedic surgery are substantial.
They vary considerably depending on the procedure, your underlying health conditions, the experience of the surgeon, type of anesthesia, etc., and can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000+.
For an overview on private surgery costs, see our Resources on Private Surgery Costs and Hip Replacement Costs in Alberta.
Private surgeons typically charge a consultation fee because a surgical consult involves clinical work before, during, and after the appointment.
A surgical consultation isn’t a “meet and greet.” It’s a formal medical assessment where the surgeon may:
In a private setting, the surgeon generally isn’t billing Alberta Health (AHCIP) for that time, so the consultation fee compensates them for expert assessment and diagnostic decision-making.
Private clinics also cover operating costs that public hospitals don’t fund in the same way, including:
The consultation fee helps support these resources and the infrastructure required to provide timely, organized care outside publicly funded hospital operations.
Wait times depend on urgency, imaging, and OR capacity. Two waits matter:
If you’re over 60 with degenerative arthritis, you may be triaged differently than a younger patient with a locked knee or acute ligament injury. The fastest path usually comes from: clear diagnosis + complete imaging + documented failed conservative care.
In Calgary, there are 29,203+ patients waiting for surgery.
Of those patients waiting for surgery, 42% are out of target. That means 42% of patients are waiting for a scheduled surgery longer than is clinically recommended by the Alberta Coding Access Targets for Surgery system.
For hip and knee replacement surgery, wait times vary considerably. The tenth percentile gets surgery within 5 weeks. 50% are seen within 25 weeks. And the 90th percentile are seen within 55 weeks.
