Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Alberta | Canada Hyperbarics
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Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Alberta

Alberta Health covers recognised conditions at hospital-based AHS facilities (Misericordia Edmonton, Foothills/AJECCC Calgary). CPSA accreditation of private clinics is a safety standard and does not automatically grant Alberta Health billing.

Quick Answer

Is HBOT covered in Alberta? Alberta has two hospital hyperbaric programmes: Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton (Covenant Health, 24/7 emergency coverage) and Foothills Medical Centre / Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Calgary (Alberta Health Services, weekday outpatient with on-call triage). Alberta Health (AHCIP) covers HBOT for the 14 Health Canada-recognised conditions at these hospital programmes with a physician referral; the hospital billing code is 13.99I (detention time per 15 minutes). Private hyperbaric clinics in Alberta are accredited by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) for safety and quality standards; CPSA accreditation is not the same as Alberta Health billing eligibility, and most private clinic treatment is on a self-pay basis. Confirm coverage directly with each facility.

Billing codes: 13.99I (HBOT detention time per 15 minutes)

2

Hospital Programmes

1

Private Clinic

3

Total Facilities

14

Recognised Conditions

Insurance Coverage

Insurance Program

Alberta Health / AHCIP

Coverage Type

Alberta Health covers recognised conditions at hospital-based AHS facilities (Misericordia Edmonton, Foothills/AJECCC Calgary). CPSA accreditation of private clinics is a safety standard and does not automatically grant Alberta Health billing.

Billing Codes

13.99I (HBOT detention time per 15 minutes)

Wait Times

Edmonton Misericordia: 24/7 emergency access; chronic/elective wait times vary. Calgary Foothills/AJECCC: weekday outpatient access; on-call triage via ROCA after-hours.

Cities with HBOT Access in Alberta

Detailed local guides for each city with HBOT facilities. Each page covers facility contacts, costs, referral steps, and emergency access.

Edmonton downtown skyline at golden hour with the North Saskatchewan River, High Level Bridge, and autumn River Valley

Edmonton

2 facilities

Edmonton has two hyperbaric oxygen therapy facilities: Misericordia Community Hospital (Covenant Health, part of Alberta Health Services) provides Alberta Health-covered HBOT with…

View Edmonton guide →
Calgary downtown skyline with Calgary Tower and Rocky Mountains at dusk

Calgary

1 facility

Calgary has one hyperbaric oxygen therapy facility: the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre at Foothills Medical Centre (part of Alberta Health…

View Calgary guide →

HBOT Facilities in Alberta

Hospital Programmes

Private Clinics

How to Access HBOT in Alberta

Physician referral required for hospital-based HBOT. The College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) accredits private hyperbaric clinics for safety and quality standards; CPSA accreditation does not automatically grant Alberta Health billing. Confirm coverage arrangements with each facility directly.

  1. 1

    Speak with your family physician or specialist about whether HBOT is appropriate for your condition (one of the 14 Health Canada-recognised indications).

  2. 2

    For hospital-based, Alberta Health-covered treatment, your physician sends a referral to the relevant hospital programme: Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton (Covenant Health, with 24/7 emergency access), or Foothills Medical Centre / Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Calgary (AHS, weekday outpatient access requiring Calgary zone physician referral).

  3. 3

    For Calgary-zone emergencies outside weekday hours, the Referral, Outreach and Consultation Application (ROCA) is used to coordinate on-call hyperbaric triage; emergency department physicians arrange routing.

  4. 4

    For private-pay treatment, patients can contact a CPSA-accredited private hyperbaric clinic directly. Pricing typically ranges from approximately $175 to $350 per session; some clinics may bill specific indications under arrangement, so confirm coverage and billing with each clinic before booking.

  5. 5

    Treatment courses commonly run 20 to 40 daily sessions, with some radiation indications requiring up to 60 sessions. Each session typically lasts 90 to 120 minutes.

Emergency Access

Hyperbaric emergencies in Alberta (suspected carbon monoxide poisoning, arterial gas embolism, decompression sickness from diving, severe necrotising soft-tissue infection, severe blood-loss anaemia in a patient declining transfusion) are routed to Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton (24/7) or to Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary (weekday outpatient, with on-call triage through the ROCA process for after-hours emergencies).

Emergency Routing

Call 911 first for any acute medical emergency. The receiving emergency department physician coordinates transfer to the nearest 24/7 hyperbaric facility (typically Misericordia Edmonton) through Alberta Health Services' provincial transport system. For Calgary zone after-hours emergencies, on-call hyperbaric triage is arranged via the Referral, Outreach and Consultation Application (ROCA). For diving-related emergencies, the Divers Alert Network (DAN) emergency hotline is 1-919-684-9111 and can advise on the nearest active recompression chamber. Northern and rural Alberta patients may require ground or air transport to Edmonton or Calgary depending on clinical urgency.

Provincial Health Authority

Alberta Health Services (AHS) is the integrated provincial health authority responsible for hospital and community health services across Alberta. The Foothills Medical Centre hyperbaric programme operates under AHS within the Calgary zone. The Misericordia Community Hospital is operated by Covenant Health, a Catholic, not-for-profit health-care provider that delivers AHS-funded services in Edmonton. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) provides separate accreditation for private hyperbaric clinics on safety and quality grounds; CPSA accreditation does not equate to Alberta Health billing eligibility.

Recognised Indications

Alberta references the 14 conditions identified by Health Canada as accepted indications for hyperbaric oxygen therapy. These include emergency indications (carbon monoxide poisoning, gas embolism, decompression sickness, gas gangrene, necrotising soft-tissue infections, crush injury and acute traumatic ischaemia, severe blood loss anaemia, intracranial abscess, central retinal artery occlusion, sudden sensorineural hearing loss) and chronic/elective indications (problem wounds including diabetic foot ulcers, late effects of radiation, compromised grafts and flaps, refractory osteomyelitis, thermal burns).

View all 14 recognised conditions →

Important Note

Alberta Health covers HBOT at hospital-based AHS facilities (Misericordia Edmonton, Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre / Foothills Medical Centre Calgary). Private clinics in Alberta are CPSA-accredited for safety standards; accreditation does not automatically grant Alberta Health billing. Canada Hyperbarics has no commercial relationship with the Alberta hospital programmes, with Covenant Health, with Alberta Health Services, or with the listed private clinic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, at hospital-based AHS facilities (Misericordia Edmonton, Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre / Foothills Medical Centre Calgary) for the 14 Health Canada-recognised conditions with a physician referral. The hospital billing code 13.99I covers physician-supervised HBOT detention time at hospital programmes.

There are two hospital programmes: Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton (operated by Covenant Health, with 24/7 emergency coverage) and Foothills Medical Centre / Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Calgary (operated by Alberta Health Services, weekday outpatient with after-hours on-call triage via ROCA).

CPSA accreditation of private hyperbaric clinics is a safety and quality oversight mechanism; it does not automatically grant Alberta Health billing. Private clinic fees are generally out of pocket. Confirm billing arrangements with each specific facility before booking.

Private-pay HBOT in Alberta typically ranges from approximately $175 to $350 per session depending on chamber type and clinical complexity. A full course of 20 to 40 sessions for a chronic indication can total $7,000 to $14,000. Confirm current pricing with the clinic directly.

The CPSA accredits private hyperbaric clinics in Alberta for safety and quality standards (chamber operations, physician oversight, emergency procedures). This accreditation is a safety mechanism; it does not equate to Alberta Health billing eligibility. Hospital-based HBOT at Misericordia and Foothills/AJECCC operates under separate Alberta Health Services governance.

Alberta references the 14 Health Canada-recognised conditions, which include carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression sickness, gas embolism, gas gangrene, necrotising soft-tissue infections, crush injury, severe anaemia, intracranial abscess, central retinal artery occlusion, sudden sensorineural hearing loss, problem wounds, late effects of radiation, compromised grafts and flaps, refractory osteomyelitis, and thermal burns.

Most chronic indications require a course of 20 to 40 daily sessions, with some radiation indications requiring up to 60 sessions. Each session typically lasts 90 to 120 minutes. Acute emergencies may require only one or a few treatments.

Call 911. The receiving emergency department coordinates transfer to the nearest 24/7 hyperbaric facility (typically Misericordia in Edmonton) through Alberta Health Services' provincial transport system. For Calgary zone after-hours emergencies, on-call triage is arranged through the ROCA process. For diving emergencies, the Divers Alert Network (DAN) hotline at 1-919-684-9111 can advise on the nearest active recompression chamber.

Sources & Verification

Last reviewed: 2026-04-23

Last reviewed: April 7, 2026 | Reviewed by: Canada Hyperbarics Editorial Team | Editorial process | Research sources | Counts & methodology

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