Consumer Alert: Algomed, a Quebec private health care organization arrives on Nova Scotia's shores and leaves patients stranded

Last summer, Algomed, a nurseled private health care agency chain based in Quebec, expanded its primary care services to the Halifax Regional Municipality. The purpose, according to Algomed co-founder Dr. Adam Hofmann, was to provide more health care services to Nova Scotians who have limited access to the province’s strained public healthcare system.

However, in January 2023, a mere few months after opening, the clinic’s east coast operations were shuttered. Its social media pages were removed and surprised patients have been unable to contact the organization. Patients who signed up to Algomed’s subscription-based pricing model have been left with no recourse for refunds, and their credit cards continue to be charged.

“My wife and I were really hopeful about Algomed,” said a patient who spoke with The Registrar on the condition of anonymity. “The nurse practitioner who saw us was exception- al, and we felt safe with this private solution to Nova Scotia’s health care challenges. But Algomed won’t cancel my required monthly subscription even though their service is no longer accessible to me. They’re stealing my money, which is deeply disturbing, inappropriate, and repugnant, and unnecessarily increases risks to an already vulnerable population.”

The Registrar reached out to Algomed, but several requests for an interview have gone unanswered.

The Nova Scotia College of Nursing regulates nurses and nurse practitioners in the province. Sue Smith, its CEO and Registrar, provided information on the College’s stance of public and private health care servicing.

“The NSCN regulates nurses as individual health care practitioners and we do not regulate or license private health care corporations,” she said. “We believe public nurse-run clinics could play a vital role in providing the public with greater access to healthcare. There are examples in Nova Scotia where these have been making a positive difference when added as an option to our health care system.”

At a time when more than 100,000 Nova Scotians are waiting for a family doctor, it’s a lucrative proposition to set up a clinic where nurse practitioners, who have extended scopes of practice from Registered Nurses, can see patients who are willing to pay.

In contrast to the College, Janet Hazelton, the president of the Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union, says that she was surprised that a private health care clinic like Algomed set up shop in Nova Scotia at all.

“The market isn’t really great in Atlantic Canada,” Hazelton believes. “People don’t have as much disposable cash as others in central Canada where these facilities [like Algomed] could work.”

Raylene Langor, a Halifax lawyer, says the principal issues are about contracts and consumer protection.

She asserts that it is vital to read the wording of the service contract between the clinic and each patient. A breach of contract could allow the client to recover money that they are properly owed. In Nova Scotia, Section 26(5) of the Consumer Protection Act implies a statutory service warranty, or promise made by one party to another. In exchange for a fee, or any other guarantee, a service agreed by both parties must be carried out.

Any patient of Algomed, or of any service, where a consumer feels that their contractual obligations are being breached should attempt to stop payment. Consumers are also encouraged to reach out to legal counsel if necessary.

“After trying to reach Algomed for the past month, I’ve reached out to my credit card company to stop payment. This never should’ve happened, and people deserve much better,” said the patient who spoke to The Registrar.