THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Those who would elect to leave said they would move to another Canadian province or territory, while a small percentage would retire or leave the medical field earlier than planned.
The survey results were published Tuesday in a letter released by the association's president Dr. Heidi Fell, which was the first of five days of advanced voting on separation ahead of the official referendum day on Oct. 19.
"As Albertans prepare to vote, the AMA is focused on an important question," Fell said in the letter. "What could the referendum outcomes mean for patients, physicians and Alberta’s health-care system?"
Premier Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party government has put 10 questions on the ballot. The 10th question asks whether the province should stay in Canada or hold a second, binding referendum on leaving the country.
The first nine questions are about Canada's Constitution, as well as immigration, including whether the government should impose limitations and financial fees for newcomers and temporary workers accessing health care.
The AMA said if Albertans choose to separate, not only would the medical workforce shrink, but health care in an independent Alberta would be left in limbo.
Fell said it's unclear, for example, how an independent Alberta would fill the health-care funding gap that would be created after it loses federal money.
"In addition to assuming federal health-care funding responsibilities, significant health-care concerns remain, including maintaining access to medicines, equipment and medical services," she said.
The Rockyview General Hospital is pictured in Calgary, Thursday, March 20, 2025.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
The association also has questions about the effects of the immigration questions on health care, Fell said, should the government receive a mandate on them.
Fell said she wrote to the province's health ministers last week for more clarity.
She has asked them, for example, what doctors should do when someone needs necessary care but their eligibility can't immediately be confirmed.
She has also asked how questions about eligibility should be resolved without delaying care.
"Physicians often need to make clinical decisions before a patient’s identity, residency status or coverage can be verified," she said.
"Our position is straightforward: uncertainty about coverage should not unnecessarily delay care, and physicians and their staff should not be placed in the position of determining or enforcing a patient’s immigration or coverage status."
Fell said the AMA hopes to hear from the government soon.
"Ultimately, we believe questions about coverage should be addressed through a reliable and timely administrative process so physicians can remain focused on clinical decisions and patients can receive the care they need."
Hospitals Minister Adriana LaGrange's office said it is reviewing the association's letter.
"It would be inappropriate to speculate on the outcome of the referendum or any technical legislative, policy or program changes that may follow until Albertans have had their say," her office said in an email Tuesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 14, 2026.
By Fakiha Baig | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
A Wedding Guest Cut The Newlyweds' Cake Just For Herself & TikTok Is Melting Down Over It
"You have no idea how angry this is making me."
Nothing says "pure chaos" like walking up to a newlywed couple's pristine wedding cake and cutting a slice for yourself — before they even get a chance to taste it.
TikTok user @mediocrehailey sparked a major outcry on the app recently, after posting video of herself cutting the first slice of her friend's wedding cake before the bride and groom could even get their moment with it.
And while that sounds like a major power move, it seems she did it entirely by accident.
"Me! A guest at my friend's wedding," reads the caption over her video of the incident, which has gone viral online. "Ignoring the brownie table and confidently cutting myself a slice of HER WEDDING CAKE, thinking uh-oh! They forgot to serve it to everyone else!"
The video shows her not only cutting a slice for herself, but then licking her fingers and dancing away to the DJ's next song, completely unaware of what she's done.
Yikes.
"I know better now," continued her caption. "I hate myself!"
How do you even recover from that, or begin to apologize to the newlyweds?
People did not hold back in the comments, with many ripping her for somehow not reading the room at the wedding. Others were shocked that she shared the embarrassing video on TikTok, where it now has over 5.8 million views.
The top comment under the video read: "You couldn't pry this information out of me if I did this to someone at their wedding," because some things are just better to keep to yourself.
"You have no idea how angry this is making me," wrote another user.
Many users said they would "no longer be on speaking terms" with someone who did this at their wedding.
Another pointed out that "someone was even recording this instead of running up and stopping you."
"Was this your first wedding??" asked another commenter.
Safe to say that people were angry, but it looks like the bride herself managed to get over it.
The poster apologized to the bride and groom in her caption, and the bride showed up in the comments to accept the apology.
"As the bride whose cake this is - SHE IS FORMALLY FORGIVEN AND HAS LEARNED HER LESSON IN WEDDING ETIQUETTE," she wrote.
Phew!
Despite the bride being over the whole kerfuffle, some people are still trying to wrap their minds around the blunder in the first place.
"Omg, so I see that the bride commented forgiving you, but I still need to go through my own emotional process with this one," wrote one user.
So the next time you're at a wedding, learn from this TikToker's mistake and don't help yourself to a slice of cake!