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Glossary

Care-First (Alberta)

By LiabilityGap EditorialUpdated 2 min read

The short answer

Care-First is Alberta's announced auto insurance reform, moving toward a largely no-fault, benefits-first model, with a scheduled effective date of January 2027. As of mid-2026, it has not taken effect — Alberta's full tort system still applies today, and an at-fault driver can still be sued for damages.

Care-First is the name of Alberta's auto insurance reform: Bill 47, the Automobile Insurance and Care-First Benefits Act, received royal assent on May 15, 2025, moving the province toward a largely no-fault, benefits-first model, with a confirmed effective date of January 1, 2027. As of mid-2026, Care-First has not taken effect. Alberta's existing full tort system remains in place today, meaning an at-fault driver can currently be sued for damages exactly as before.

The name draws an obvious comparison to BC's Enhanced Care, and the reforms share a family resemblance — both move toward paying injury benefits directly rather than relying primarily on lawsuits. But they are separate systems in separate provinces, on separate timelines, and treating them as interchangeable is a common source of confusion.

Why it matters to you#

"Announced" and "scheduled" are doing real work in any accurate description of Care-First. Alberta drivers sometimes hear about the reform and assume it already changed their exposure — it hasn't. Anyone driving in Alberta today faces the same full tort liability exposure as before the legislation passed, and that remains true right up until the effective date actually arrives. Details of the announced framework, including the exact scope of any surviving right to sue, can still shift before January 2027.

In practice#

  • A crash in Alberta today is handled entirely under the current tort system — an injured party can sue an at-fault driver now, with no Care-First protection in place yet.
  • The announced framework is expected to preserve suing in narrow circumstances, such as certain criminal or Traffic Safety Act convictions, once it takes effect — similar in spirit to the exception BC built into Enhanced Care.
  • Like Enhanced Care, Care-First is expected to be an auto-only reform — nothing announced so far suggests it will touch premises, recreational, or other non-driving liability once it's live.
  • Don't wait for January 2027 to review your own liability coverage — the tort system applies in full today, and that's the exposure that matters right now.

See Can You Still Be Sued as a Driver? No-Fault vs Tort in Every Province for how Care-First compares to every other province's system, and Enhanced Care for BC's already-live version of a similar reform.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Care-First?

Care-First is the name of Alberta's announced auto insurance reform, moving the province toward a largely no-fault, benefits-first system, with a scheduled effective date of January 2027.

Is Care-First in effect yet?

No. As of mid-2026, Care-First has not taken effect. Alberta's existing full tort auto insurance system remains in place until the announced January 2027 date, and details of the reform can still change before then.

Will I still be able to sue after a car accident in Alberta?

Yes, today — Alberta's tort system is fully in force as of mid-2026. Once Care-First takes effect as scheduled, the announced framework is expected to preserve the right to sue in limited situations, such as certain criminal or Traffic Safety Act convictions, but the ordinary lawsuit for an at-fault crash is expected to be significantly narrowed.

Sources

  1. Care-first auto insurance — Government of Alberta

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