Alberta ambulance rate changes

Shannon LeClair
Times Reporter

 

At the beginning of January new standardized rates were introduced across the province for ambulance services. The new rates are the same for all Alberta residents, no matter where you are in the province.
“Before it was always a base rate, it was always the same and then mileage, so obviously a trip out to Hussar would be more expensive than a trip a block away,” said Rob Witty, director of WADEMSA.
The previous rate in this area was $152 with $3.12 per km for EMS response. If the response included a transfer to a hospital, or any other facility it was $280 plus $3.12 per km.
“Before January of this year we had close to 40 different rates for ground ambulance service in the province. So depending on where you were if you had a medical emergency and you dialed 911 and EMS came, you could pay a different rate if you were in an accident on Hwy #63 or if you were travelling in the mountains, or if you were at home,” said Timothy Wilson, with the Government of Alberta’s Ministry of Health.
“Now no matter where you are when you need emergency medical help, you will pay either $385 if you are transported to hospital or $250 if you were treated on the scene. So it is the same rate for everybody across the province.”
It’s not clear yet how the rate changes could affect WADEMSA. Witty said it would take some time to see how things go.
“The hope is that it will balance out. That’s something we’ll be analyzing to see,” said Witty.
“Alberta Health Services, who we contract through, has sort of given us assurances that if it negatively impacts our funding that they would have some sort of compensation mechanism in there.”
Wilson confirmed that in all of the contracts for EMS service across Alberta there is a clause to amend the contract if the billing revenue is affected.
“In addition to this being the fairest way to ensure that all Albertans are paying the same amount of money to receive the same kind of service, it does benefit those living in rural, remote areas who are often paying more,” said Wilson.
The fees brought in by ground ambulance response cover approximately 20 per cent of the actual funding amount needed for each call; the other 80 per cent is funded by the Alberta Government. There is a $200 surcharge added on to the fee for non-resident patients, whether they are transported or not. Seniors 65 and older that are enrolled in the Coverage for Seniors program will not receive a bill for ambulance service. Health Canada pays the user fee for First Nations people. Alberta Human Services covers the cost for Albertans receiving health benefits through Income Support, Adult Health Benefits or Alberta Child Health Benefits.
Alberta’s ambulance bills sit somewhere around the middle in terms of what residents will be expected to pay. The Assiniboine area in the Prairie Mountain Health region has the highest flat rate in the country at $530. In Winnipeg an ambulance trip costs their residents $512.

 

 

A comparison of Alberta ground ambulance rate costs across the country.
Some of the information collected is from Marketplace- CBC news, Ambulance Fees: No Free Ride.

British Columbia: $50 for on scene treatment. $80 for treatment and transport.

Saskatchewan: $245-$325 plus $2.30/km depending on the health region.
Manitoba: $270 plus $3/km up to $530, depending on where you are in the province.

Ontario: $240 if it is deemed not medically necessary. $45 if it is medically necessary.

Quebec: $125 plus $1.75/km.

New Brunswick: Those without private insurance do not pay ambulance fees.

Nova Scotia: $142.30.

Newfoundland & Labrador: $115.

Prince Edward Island: $150.

Yukon: Patients are not charged out-of-pocket.

Northwest Territories: Varies by location. Community governments have the authority to enact bylaws about ambulance service in their area.

Nunavut: The Nunavut health care plan covers the cost of ambulance services from the health centre to the airport, and from the airport to the health centre. There is a $250 co-payment fee for return airfare to the patient’s community.