Get the basics right - like ERs staying open & ambulances arriving on time

[YZT580]

Check out this Ambulance bill in Saskatchewan.

View attachment 101773

finger trouble

 

[medicineman]

As far as I understand it, if you live in Kenora, ON ( for example), and the ambulance take you to Lake of the Woods Hospital, as an Ontario resident, you get a bill for $45. That's all.

If they cant help you there, OHIP pays for the rest of the trip. Even if they fly you to Toronto.

Not positive. But, that's my understanding.

We used to get asked about that a lot. But, it was actually the hospital did the billing.

Ambulance Fees

The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care sets, bills and collects ambulance fees that a member of the public may be charged after being transported to hospital by ambulance. You are responsible for an ambulance service co-payment charge of $45.00 for ambulance services rendered if the...

www.toronto.ca

More often than not, if you go to LotWH in Kenora, if you need specialist care urgently, you go to Winnipeg - it's the nearest cath lab, stroke centre and trauma surgery facility, as well as pediatric and ICU care...

 

[mariomike]

More often than not, if you go to LotWH in Kenora, if you need specialist care urgently, you go to Winnipeg - it's the nearest cath lab, stroke centre and trauma surgery facility, as well as pediatric and ICU care...

Good point.

Ontario Residents are fully subsidized by the province when deemed medically necessary by a physician or transport doctor, minus the standard $45 co-payment. No charge if inter-facility, and authorized by PTAC. That includes out of province.

ORNGE has a base in Kenora.

 

[medicineman]

Good point.

Ontario Residents are fully subsidized by the province when deemed medically necessary by a physician or transport doctor, minus the standard $45 co-payment. No charge if inter-facility, and authorized by PTAC. That includes out of province.

ORNGE has a base in Kenora.

View attachment 101779

They're frequent visitors to YWG...the bird parks often near one of the air ambulance carriers at my end of the airport.

 

[Gordon Dundas/]

I s

They're frequent visitors to YWG...the bird parks often near one of the air ambulance carriers at my end of the airport.

I see them landing and taking off from the Helipad at Winnipeg Health Science Centre regularly.

 

[mariomike]

As far as Winnipeg goes , I was a little shocked , actually, more than a little shocked , by their billing.

These are the rates for residents. Non-residents are much higher.

Lift Assists ( no transport )

One car $1,585.

If a second car is required, $2,940

We called them Courtesy Calls. There was never a charge.

Manitoba resident , transport to hospital $250

No transport? Still $250. Even if you were not the Call Originator!

Ontario charges $45 for transport. No transport? On the house.

Other charges listed,

Billing - Fire Paramedic Service - City of Winnipeg

Ambulance and Inspection Billing Information

legacy.winnipeg.ca

YMMV by province.

 

[Blackadder1916]

Several years old, but does provide some background about the MOU between Ontario and Manitoba about the provision of health care services to Northwestern Ontario residents by Manitoba provider. I'm unable to find the exact text of the MOU or if it has been renewed after the original five agreement time frame. I assume it was as Winnipeg still seems to be a primary referral destination for patients in the Kenora region.

Northern Policy Institute - Health care co-operation between Northwestern Ontario and Manitoba

Each year, Manitoba provides approximately 20,000 health care services of all types to Northwestern Ontario residents.

On May 4, 2018 both provinces entered into a five-year Memorandum of Understanding4 which ensures Manitoba provides Northwestern Ontario residents access to Winnipeg-based acute care services at the same rate as Manitobans 5. In return, the Ontario government provides Manitoba “top up” funding to offset the cost of services not covered through existing arrangements. This funding is provided on a per-patient or “per-patient-day-of-service” basis. For a standard out-patient visit, this rate is $50 per service. Manitoba invoices Ontario for the services, and Ontario agrees to pay within 60 days6. However, while this agreement reduces the cost of inter-provincial health care and cuts down on bureaucracy,

Another notable feature of the MOU is the framework for Manitoba to provide clinically or operationally necessary transportation services to Northwestern Ontario residents. The costs for these services are then reimbursed by Ontario7. Manitoba also benefits from the agreement: Manitoba physicians can use Ontario’s CritiCall system for emergency patient transport to ensure efficient transition of emergent care patients between Manitoba and Ontario. Health care providers in Manitoba may be required to obtain additional professional licences in the province of Ontario in order to provide “clinical escort team services,” but Ontario agrees to pay Manitoba for the licencing fees.

And for those who travel on their own speed.

Northern Health Travel Grant Program

Learn about financial assistance for Northern Ontario residents who travel long distances for medical specialist services.

www.ontario.ca

 

[medicineman]

As far as Winnipeg goes , I was a little shocked , actually, more than a little shocked , by their billing.

These are the rates for residents. Non-residents are much higher.

Lift Assists ( no transport )

One car $1,585.

If a second car is required, $2,940

We called them Courtesy Calls. There was never a charge.

Manitoba resident , transport to hospital $250

No transport? Still $250. Even if you were not the Call Originator!

Ontario charges $45 for transport. No transport? On the house.

Other charges listed,

Billing - Fire Paramedic Service - City of Winnipeg

Ambulance and Inspection Billing Information

legacy.winnipeg.ca

YMMV by province.

Was $350 when I was in Portage la Prairie in 2011...without the mileage tacked on.

 

[ModlrMike]

As far as Winnipeg goes , I was a little shocked , actually, more than a little shocked , by their billing.

These are the rates for residents. Non-residents are much higher.

Lift Assists ( no transport )

One car $1,585.

If a second car is required, $2,940

We called them Courtesy Calls. There was never a charge.

Manitoba resident , transport to hospital $250

No transport? Still $250. Even if you were not the Call Originator!

Ontario charges $45 for transport. No transport? On the house.

Other charges listed,

Billing - Fire Paramedic Service - City of Winnipeg

Ambulance and Inspection Billing Information

legacy.winnipeg.ca

YMMV by province.

This is why we get cases that should be ambulance arrive by PMV.

 

[mariomike]

For anyone Alberta bound, the ambulance fees for insured residents is $385

Even if an insured resident is not the Call Originator , and even if the Alberta resident refuses the ride , they still get billed for $250.

Plus , a $200 surcharge for non-Alberta residents.

 

[Blackadder1916]

The most disturbing "ambulance bill" that I had to deal with was forty years ago, back in the 1980s,. There had been an gas explosion in one of the
PMQs. Two dependent children died at the scene in the explosion. City fire and EMS responded as per SOP; we were located in a major city. In situations such as this, normal practice would be for the Medical Examiner to make arrangements (including payment) for transport of remains from scene of death to the morgue. For some reason that was never adequately explained the city's ambulance service submitted a bill to the base for two ambulances being dispatched to the scene and later transport of the children's bodies to the ME office. I think they padded the bill with "waiting time". Anyway, it was several hundreds of dollars. Thankfully it had not been sent directly to the parents. The BCompt sent it over to me because, in their mind, I had a "medical" budget. However, while I could have paid it if the service had been provided to the father (a Sergeant), there was no authority to pay bills for service provided to dependents (we didn't do dependent care at that base). Because there were ongoing investigations (including with provincial and city inspectors) as to the cause of the explosion (base CE had been doing some digging that included exposing a natural gas pipe), no one wanted to make payment as it might be construed as accepting responsibility for the incident. When I told them that I could not pay the bill (I even confirmed it so with the Comd Surg, who I received the budget from), the BCompt told me to send the bill to the Sergeant. I told him to go f**k himself. When I later explained the circumstances of that conversation with the BComd, he agreed with my response and told the BCompt to pay it.

 

[Halifax Tar]

The most disturbing "ambulance bill" that I had to deal with was forty years ago, back in the 1980s,. There had been an gas explosion in one of the
PMQs. Two dependent children died at the scene in the explosion. City fire and EMS responded as per SOP; we were located in a major city. In situations such as this, normal practice would be for the Medical Examiner to make arrangements (including payment) for transport of remains from scene of death to the morgue. For some reason that was never adequately explained the city's ambulance service submitted a bill to the base for two ambulances being dispatched to the scene and later transport of the children's bodies to the ME office. I think they padded the bill with "waiting time". Anyway, it was several hundreds of dollars. Thankfully it had not been sent directly to the parents. The BCompt sent it over to me because, in their mind, I had a "medical" budget. However, while I could have paid it if the service had been provided to the father (a Sergeant), there was no authority to pay bills for service provided to dependents (we didn't do dependent care at that base). Because there were ongoing investigations (including with provincial and city inspectors) as to the cause of the explosion (base CE had been doing some digging that included exposing a natural gas pipe), no one wanted to make payment as it might be construed as accepting responsibility for the incident. When I told them that I could not pay the bill (I even confirmed it so with the Comd Surg, who I received the budget from), the BCompt told me to send the bill to the Sergeant. I told him to go f**k himself. When I later explained the circumstances of that conversation with the BComd, he agreed with my response and told the BCompt to pay it.

Log Os strike again!

Good on you for making it right!