From farmers and families in remote towns to oil and gas crews and busy office professionals, many Albertans can’t always get to a clinic when they need care. Fortunately, there are services like virtual care that can help.
Virtual care is often included in personal and employee benefit plans. It helps people get medical advice, prescriptions and even mental health support when it gets difficult to visit a clinic.
For many, the biggest benefit is the convenience and knowing that care is available wherever you are in the province. Understandably, it’s become an important part of health care for many Albertans.
It’s also helping reduce pressure on primary care. According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), virtual primary care could have managed about 9% of emergency room (ER) visits in Alberta in 2024.
When the nearest clinic is hours away or appointments aren’t available, virtual care helps bridge that gap.
Understanding virtual care
Virtual care is a secure service that connects people with licensed health professionals through apps and websites.
It can help with everyday health needs like routine consultations, prescriptions, specialist referrals, lab work requests and mental health support.
But it’s not meant for emergencies or complex care. In those cases, call 911 or go to an ER.
But doesn’t technology get in the way?
It’s a fair concern. Some worry that technology will make virtual care harder to use. But most Albertans don’t find that to be true.
In a 2021 survey by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta, 70% said they faced no barriers to virtual care. Only a small number mentioned problems like access to technology (9%) or discomfort using it (7%).
How virtual care compares to other options
Virtual care is not a replacement for family doctors or walk-in clinics. It adds another layer of support and serves a different purpose.
In fact, some family doctors do offer a telehealth option but follow clinic schedules and availability. In many cases, it also depends on your personal relationship with the doctor.
Walk-in clinics, meanwhile, remain a go-to for everyday concerns but are limited by wait times and hours.
Virtual care offers a faster, more flexible option available anywhere in Canada.
The table below shows some of the most common differences between virtual care and the two familiar options. Specific details in the table may vary by plan and provider. So, it’s always best to confirm with your virtual care provider.
| Virtual care | Telehealth appointments with family doctor | Walk-in clinics | |
| Hours | 24/7 availability | Varies by clinic hours, often limited evenings/weekends | Varies by clinic hours, often limited evenings/weekends |
| Providers | Network of licensed health care professionals | Your family physician | On-site physician or nurse practitioner |
| Booking | On-demand | By appointment only | First-come, first-served, and may involve long wait times |
| Location | Accessible from anywhere in Canada | Restricted accessibility due to time zones and clinic hours | Physical clinic location |
| Eligibility | Available through many benefit plans | Based on your personal relationship with your family doctor | Open to the public, but often busy or limited capacity |
| Care connection | Electronic health records can be shared (with consent) with your doctor | Your family doctor has access to your health records | One-time visits for immediate needs, often no follow-ups or ongoing relationship |
Why Albertans are turning to virtual care
During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was difficult for individuals to access doctors and other health services. Virtual appointments made it possible to resume ‘visits’.
According to Statistics Canada, 3 in 5 Canadians used virtual care at least once during the pandemic. In Alberta, 43% accessed health care by telephone or a video call from April 2021–August 2022.
A 2024 Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) report says that 1 in 3 Canadians received primary care virtually even after in-person visits resumed.
It’s not surprising.
According to Alberta Medical Association’s (AMA) 2025 State of Health Care report, 18% of adult Albertans don’t have a family doctor.
Even among those who do, almost half say they can’t get an appointment when they need one.
These numbers only highlight what most know by experience. And as we all know, life still happens outside of doctor’s office hours.
Who benefits most from virtual care?
Professionals and shift workers
Alberta Blue Cross® plan member Carrie M. recently used virtual care through our partners at TELUS Health.
“I don’t have a primary care doctor. But needed to get a specialist referral and diagnostic exam,” the Edmonton-based marketing professional says. “Alberta Blue Cross had recently mentioned they had added Virtual Care to all their personal plans for free. So, that was top of mind, and I thought of giving it a shot.
“Sure, I was on the app for a bit. But I didn’t have to take time off from work, didn’t have to seek a doctor. By the end of it, the clinician took time to understand my health issue. I got referred to a specialist and had a diagnostic exam set up within 1 day.”
Carrie isn’t alone in her experience.
Young adults
When young adults move to a new city for school or work, they often don’t have a family doctor. That’s where virtual care helps.
It gives young people an easy way to connect with a doctor or nurse for everyday needs like prescriptions, referrals or lab tests. They don’t have to turn to the ER for non-urgent problems.
Students and young professionals also tend to be more open about seeking help for mental health. With virtual care, it’s simpler to access that support without a long wait.
Parents balancing family and health
A couple of years ago, a parent shared her story with us. Her daughter got rashes on her hands over the weekend. She couldn’t get access to a walk-in clinic. Wait times at the local ER meant she’d have had to wait for hours for a doctor.
She took a chance with the virtual care service her benefit plan offered. A few photos and a video chat later, the clinician assured her it wasn’t hand, foot and mouth disease. By next morning, her daughter was on the road to recovery.
Residents of remote communities
Remote living comes with many rewards—peaceful, close communities and landscapes that most only see on postcards. But the nearest clinic can be hours away. Long drives, followed by wait times at walk-in clinics, make even simple concerns a challenge to manage. That’s why virtual care has been a game-changer. It brings support directly into the home.
Ask this landscape photographer, who calls a remote Albertan community her home. She’s come to rely on virtual care for most of her routine health care needs. “The app was simple to navigate, saving me from long waits at a walk-in clinic. The dedicated and compassioned care I received addressed all my concerns promptly,” she says.
Truckers and mobile workers
Even businesses have realized its value, especially those that have their team members on the road or out in the field.
Let’s take the trucking industry, for example. Spending days or weeks on the road with limited access to health care and good nutrition can cause chronic health issues.
A 2020 Alberta study found long-haul truckers face major health risks. As many as 90% reported being overweight, 74% had high blood pressure, plus elevated rates of diabetes, sleep disorders and heart disease. From virtual physiotherapy to mental health resources, virtual care helps in ways that traditional health care can’t.
For these groups and more, virtual care brings speed, flexibility and quality care right to their fingertips. It’s not only about convenience but about creating a health care solution that adapts to the realities of modern life.
Professions balancing daily health and stress risks
Now, some say that there are professions that face higher day-to-day health risks.
For example, teachers and early childhood educators spend their days in close contact with students. That increases their exposure to routine illnesses.
They also juggle heavy workloads and classroom pressures. Support for their mental health, besides physical health, may be very helpful.
Virtual care can make a real difference, providing fast and flexible access to care.
Things to know about virtual care
- It’s family-focused: Most plans extend coverage to spouses and dependent children.
- It’s for everyday needs: Virtual care is best suited for routine concerns, including medical advice, prescriptions and mental health support. (Please note that virtual care clinicians do not prescribe narcotics or controlled substances.)
For context, 55% of consultations on the TELUS Health Virtual Care platform are for counselling and advice, including for respiratory system issues (17%) and mental and behavior disorders (11%).
In-person treatment is still your first choice for complex or chronic diseases. - It’s not for emergencies: In case of emergency, call 911 or head to your nearest emergency department.
- It’s Canada-wide: Because of laws and regulations, most virtual care providers, including TELUS Health Virtual Care, offer access when you are in Canada. There are no technological limitations. But many public virtual care providers rely on individual physicians to ensure they are legally allowed to offer medical advice while the patient is out of province. In short, do check your benefit plan details and with your virtual care or telehealth provider.
- It doesn’t cost extra: Not with Alberta Blue Cross personal benefit and group plans anyway.
We recently added virtual care to all our personal benefit plans at no extra cost.
Depending on the employer’s requirements, virtual care access is added to group plans.
According to Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association, employer-paid virtual care has been available in Canada since 2017. In 2024, 10 million Canadians were covered for virtual care under group plans. In 2023, there were over 500,000 virtual care visits paid for by Canadian employers through group plans at no extra cost to individual Canadians. - It complements, not replaces: Virtual care adds another layer of support alongside family doctors and walk-in clinics.
Virtual care: Making health care fit real life
For many Albertans, virtual care has gone from being a nice-to-have to something they now rely on. It’s become part of how families, professionals and communities manage health and wellbeing every day.
It reduces pressure on emergency departments while giving people timely, practical support. Most of all, it provides assurance that care is close at hand and that health care fits into real life.
Not a member yet, but looking to make virtual care part of your health journey? Explore personal benefit plans that include virtual care.
Already a personal or employee benefit plan member that has virtual care? Log in to member site for information and to register for virtual care.
