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Alberta's government wants to make it easier to opt out of medicare with legislation that will allow people to opt out of the public health-care system for up to three years at a time.

The opposition parties said the changes show Premier Ed Stelmach's government's priorities are misplaced, but a spokesman for Alberta Health said it will just make it easier for Albertans who opt out by dropping the annual filing that's required.

"This is a housekeeping thing to reduce paperwork and to reduce the amount of forms that need to be filled out," said Howard May.

In Alberta, 255 people opted out of medicare this year. Opting out means you don't have to pay health-care premiums in Alberta, but that you will pay the full cost of any health service.