By The Canadian Press

EDMONTON - Alberta's health minister is thinking about a new way for taxpayers to put money towards health care.

Ron Liepert says there's a need to replace roughly $1 billion a year that was lost when the government dropped health premiums last year. Liepert admits he hasn't figured out where the extra money would come from, but adds it wouldn't be a tax or a user fee.

He told rural leaders at their annual meeting in Edmonton that nothing formal is being considered right now.

The health minister says he's heard plenty of Albertans saying they'd be willing to pay more to keep their existing health care services.