In the USA, it’s 100x cheaper to take an Uber to the hospital instead of an ambulance.
I don’t know if this is true or..
Like, having to pay for an ambulance that is taking you to the hospital? That doesn’t make any sense. What kind of distopian world is that?It costs thousands of dollars to ride in an ambulance
In America some people with chronic health conditions like epilepsy literally have to wear medical IDs that say “don’t call an ambulance/911”. Some well-meaning person calling an ambulance for you will turn into a thousand (or couple thousand) dollars that YOU are on the hook for, even though you didn’t make the call. So, PSA: if you see someone having a seizure, look for a medical ID! You should only call an ambulance if: the person is elderly, pregnant, or the seizure lasts more than 4 minutes. Otherwise, wait for the seizure to pass, then ask the person if they want an ambulance when they regain consciousness.
wtf
Oh my god what.
Here in Quebec, if you call an ambulance for something they deem non-emergency, you get a bill later for like $180. But if it’s anything like a loss of consciousness, chest pains, labour, whatever, or if you’re in a public place and a a well-meaning samaritan calls 911, it’s paid for by the government.
Seriously, everything about healthcare in the US makes me want to cry.
Also, in Toronto, if someone calls an ambulance for you, the charge only applies if they take you to hospital. You can refuse if you aren’t impaired.
A couple years ago I was mugged on my way home from class, and they took my phone. So, I had to use FB to talk to someone to see if they could call the police. My sister called the police, and also asked for an ambulance because I was pretty roughed up. When the ambulance arrived, the paramedics checked me over to make sure I wasn’t seriously injured, then asked if I wanted to be taken to hospital.
The job before this I worked for a healthcare company and had to deal with bills and this is 100% true for America. The worst I ever saw was a $15,000 ambulance bill, but that’s because the guy had a heart attack in the middle of nowhere and they needed a helicopter. But the copay for ambulance emergency or not was usuallly $150-$250. And that’s just the copay, not the actual cost of the ambulance.
Without insurance it’s so much worse. Or, you know, if your insurance doesn’t cover that ambulance company. Or they take you to a hospital that’s out of network. Technically they say they’ll cover emergencies, but they’ll fight it.