Legislation introduced for private 2-for-1 CT scans in Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan is a step closer to allowing patients to pay for CT scans.

During the spring election campaign, the Saskatchewan Party promised more choice to patients if re-elected. It made a commitment to introduce a way for patients to pay for CT scans privately in a two-for-one deal so, like MRIs, the clinic must provide a scan for someone on the public wait list for every private scan done.

The Patient Choice Medical Imaging Act was introduced at the legislature by Health Minister Dustin Duncan on Thursday.

“With the introduction of this legislation, patients will soon have more choice in how they receive diagnostics, while at the same time increasing public capacity and reducing wait times to CT services,” Duncan said in a release.

The number of patients waiting for a CT scan in Saskatchewan was 3,823 as of the end of February. The average wait time for a non-urgent scan is about four months.

The new legislation is expected to pass in the fall.