Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott asks Saskatchewan to stop private MRIs.

Being concerned about Saskatchewan's buy one, get one policy for diagnostic scans such as MRIs, Jane Philpott has asked her provincial counterpart, Jim Reiter in written, that she would like Saskatchewan to "put an end" to encouraging private payment for medical scans.

The provincial government began allowing people to pay for an MRI privately last year. In return, the clinic must offer another scan to someone on the public waiting list.

Jim Reiter has written to Philpott, that the province has saved a million dollars with its buy one, get one program. 1,100 patients have been taken off the public waiting list.

Reiter says the province "fully intends" to continue expanding its 2-for-1 program to CT scans.