Sick notes and medical forms in Alberta: what is insured, what may cost, and how to ask

Why a sick note is not covered by Alberta Health

Alberta Health insures medically necessary care. Writing a note for an employer or school, or completing a form for an insurer, is not medical care: it is an uninsured professional service. The College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta allows physicians to charge a reasonable fee for these services, as long as the fee is explained before the service is provided. The visit that assesses your illness may still be insured; the document is what carries the fee.

What a virtual physician can document

A physician can only confirm what they have assessed. In a virtual visit, that means the date you were seen, the fact that you reported an illness and the advice given, for example rest for a number of days. A physician cannot backdate a note or certify days they did not assess. If an employer needs a specific form, bring it to the visit, or send it through the secure channel the clinic indicates, never through a website contact form.

How fees are handled at Medicine Place

The clinic tells you the fee before preparing the document. When a fee applies, the clinic can send a payment request by email, with a secure Stripe invoice, or a short payment link. The invoice describes the service in plain terms, never your diagnosis. Insured Alberta residents are never charged for the medical assessment itself.

Before you book

Ask your employer or school exactly what the note must say and by when. Book as early as possible; same-day documents are not guaranteed. If the concern is urgent or worsening, use urgent care or call 911 instead of waiting for a note.

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