Holy moly! I had no idea how expensive EMS services were-

[Planogirl]

When DH had to use an ambulance it was just over $500 and insurance paid $50. This is a service provided by our fire department. I was...ummm...a bit surprised to say the least.

 

[mytwotinks]

Wow

Just...WOW!

I have to scrape my jaw off the floor. I cannot believe these outrageous costs!! I don't want to open that particular can of worms, but I wonder how people can see such blatent price gouging and not question things.
Here it costs $75 dollars for a ride in an ambulance, no matter how far the distance. If they're transferring you between facilities, be it by bus or helicopter, there is no cost. If you have additionally insurance, they'll generally cover the $75 bucks.

I guess that I don't really see it as price gouging. A fire truck or ambulance costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even in a small town they need several working ambulances and often some back up in case there are mechanical issues. The drugs and equipment that they stock are outragously expensive. The paramedics that work do deserve to be paid a living wage to put themselves in often dangerous and almost always unpleasant situations.

It is being paid for somehow. Either by the people who use it or by your taxes.

 

[Camicar]

Speaking as a doctor who sees nursing home patients and occasionally needs to transport patients from one facility to another, I don't think "doctors" make the decision about what service is used. Usually, there is a nursing protocol involved. I can specify what services will be needed in transit--whether ALS or simply a van, etc, but what is actually used depends on what the nurse/unit clerk is able to arrange. (I personally get tired of doctors taking the heat from every bad decision made by any medical paraprofessional).

I understand your frustration, but I think you are being a little pedantic with me. Also since the only medical professionals we saw on this visit were actual doctors and it was the DOCTOR who said, 'Your dd needs to go to hospital by ambulance," I do not think it was out of line for me to make what is apparently some huge leap of logic to think that it was the doctor who told us to use the ambulance.

But my mistake, the next time I type out a vent on a message board I will make sure to substitute "unknown medical paraprofessional in my doctor's office for whom my doctor cannot be held responsible."

 

[JVL1018]

in my area everything (except police) is done with volunteers .. NONE of the workers get paid for it.. to even buy the equipment they have they have to buy it themself.. that is why its SO much where I am. Also our ambulance's do local fund drives for "neighbors" IF you send them I think 45$ for a family "memebership" the cost of the ambulance is 0$ if you never need to use it.

Here everything is volunteer as well(except for 5 paid FF who work M-F 8-5), Dh gets a cool $400 a year as a clothing allowance for beig a member of the FD. Oh no, wait he's up to $450 now since he's the Captain. ROFL.

The Fire Depts budget is taken care of by the town(taxes).
If they had to pay for their trucks they'd be in trouble, the rescue truck my husband and his commitee just put together a couple of years ago cost a half a million dollars. That was paid for by taxes.
The 3 fire houses in town do fund raise, but that's for stuff above and beyond. DH's fire house got a cell tower placed on it's property and they get thousands of dollars each year in rent from them, so they don't have to fundraise really at all anymore.

The other fire houses still do, and the fire dept. as a whole has to raise money to pay the mortgage on the fire training center that was built a few years ago.

The ambulance corp here was left over a million dollars a few years ago by some guy who died, so they have no money issues at all.

Our ambulance has no paramedics. No drugs, no IVs nothing like that. If you are that bad off, they call ALS, or if you can wait til you get to the hospital(there are 2 within 5 minutes and 3 more within 10-15 minutes)

Of course we pay outrageous taxes to pay for all of this...

 

[maelstrom]

My friend had to be airlifted to the hospital once. She hit a telephone pole and went through the windshield. She nearly scalped herself, as the majority of her scalp was hanging down in front of her face, just barely attached. The helicopter ride to the hospital cost $16k. Then there was the few days in the hospital (she went home on Christmas day), including a morphine drip, percocet, and surgery to staple her head back together. Do you know any 22 year olds who have $16k for that? I don't. It will never get paid (she doesn't have insurance).

 

[jemiaule]

Has anyone had to use the ambulance service at Disney provided by Reedy Creek? My son was in an accident at MK the beginning of the month and Reedy Creek was needed to take him to Celebration hospital.

I got the bill from Celebration Hospital this weekend but have not seen anything from Reedy Creek yet. Thankfully our insurance told us that it would be covered; I am just curious about the cost.

Yes, being weird and quoting myself.

I just called Reedy Creek to ask them about the cost of ambulance service. They said there was no charge; it is provided for any Disney guest who requries it.

After reading all the high cost ambulance bills mentioned here all I can say is WHEW!!!

 

[dimimi]

I would think your insurance would pay. My dh had to have a ride once and they sent us a bill for $1000! When I called and asked the insurance company why they didn't pay, they said, "Oh, we don't know why, of course it's covered!" It happens a lot that our insurance for some reason doesn't pay...hopes you will!

 

[huckster]

when my son od on herion it went into full cardiac arrest they brought him back from the reaper .. no insurance cost 500.00
cost of saving his life priceless

 

[mytwotinks]

My friend had to be airlifted to the hospital once. She hit a telephone pole and went through the windshield. She nearly scalped herself, as the majority of her scalp was hanging down in front of her face, just barely attached. The helicopter ride to the hospital cost $16k. Then there was the few days in the hospital (she went home on Christmas day), including a morphine drip, percocet, and surgery to staple her head back together. Do you know any 22 year olds who have $16k for that? I don't. It will never get paid (she doesn't have insurance).

That is why the next patient will probably end up being billed $18k. Somebody has to pay it.

 

[ducklite]

That is why the next patient will probably end up being billed $18k. Somebody has to pay it.

I'm surprised her car insurance didn't cover it.

Anne

 

[maelstrom]

I'm surprised her car insurance didn't cover it.

Anne

You know... maybe she didn't even have car insurance. I honestly have no clue. I know you're supposed to have it, but a lot of people drive around without it. And I bet they aren't jumping up and down to cover your medical bills when you fall asleep at the wheel and hit a telephone poll because you ate way too much xanax.

 

[ducklite]

You know... maybe she didn't even have car insurance. I honestly have no clue. I know you're supposed to have it, but a lot of people drive around without it. And I bet they aren't jumping up and down to cover your medical bills when you fall asleep at the wheel and hit a telephone poll because you ate way too much xanax.

Ouch!

 

[maelstrom]

Ouch!

Yeah... she had a prescription for it... but abused it. Do not eat several milligrams of xanax if you have to drive an hour to get home!