Starting Friday, Albertans will be able to pay out-of-pocket for preventative diagnostic tests like MRIs, CT scans and ultrasounds, without a doctor’s referral. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the move is about giving patients “peace of mind,” but for some, it’s creating confusion. “And I think patients will struggle a little bit too to understand,” she said. Stephanie Montesanti, Canada Research Chair in Health System Integration at the University of Alberta, said that that while self-referrals could give some Albertans more autonomy, those who need more help navigating the health care system, such as immigrants and refugees, might not have the same access. “There’s an inherent power imbalance between health care providers demanding that newcomers pay out-of-pocket, and those individuals and families who have very little to begin with.”