Opposition members in Nova Scotia have given the province's ambulance service a thumbs up — and the cost of that service an emphatic thumbs down. One politician has even questioned the legality of charging for ambulance transport at all.
At present, Nova Scotians pay $85 for a ride in an ambulance, a fraction of the $571 it actually costs the province to provide the service. This is the cheapest rate in the Maritimes and the fourth lowest rate in the country, says Marilyn Pike, senior director of the Emergency Health Service.
However, for anyone without a provincial health card or Nova Scotians injured in a car accident, the cost of an ambulance ride jumps to $500 for each person in the ambulance who receives care. “To receive a $1500 bill is absolutely atrocious,” says Cape Breton MLA Russell MacKinnon.
MLA Graham Steele wonders if the fees are even legal. The government began charging for ambulance transportation in 1995 when service was standardized across the province. However, there is currently no legislation giving the government authority to charge such a fee. In April, it announced that legislation authorizing the fees will be introduced this year. (During 2002, ambulance services are expected to contribute approximately $7.7 million to provincial coffers, up from $3 million 2 years ago.)
Any Nova Scotian displeased with an ambulance bill can seek reassessment and appeal the charge, but most don't bother. Last year nearly 90 000 ambulance trips were made in the province, and 37 people appealed the charge. — Donalee Moulton, Halifax