The following is an excerpt from the Department of Health & Community Services, policy # EHS 2003-09-55. This policy which all ambulance providers must follow in Newfoundland & Labrador with respect to Road Ambulance patient fees:
1. As per the Motor carrier Regulation 28.1 (1) an ambulance service shall charge the rates established by the Minister of Health & Community Services.
2. Currently a fee for road ambulance responses of all destinations will be set at a flat rate of $115.00 and charged to the patient unless otherwise stated in this policy (rates are subject to change).
3. Patient fees are for ambulance service and not necessarily patient transport. If a patient receives medical assistance by the ambulance personnel then refuses transportation or is deemed not to require road ambulance transport by medical authorities, a patient fee is applicable.
4. A road ambulance patient fee shall be charged to all patients except under the following circumstances; [There shall be no ROAD AMBULANCE patient fee charged to a patient who is transported as a result of an approved air ambulance medivac; the $115.00 patient fee will be paid by the Department of Health & Community Services provided the service operator records a valid air ambulance authorization number on the Patient Information and Billing Form (PCR) in question. The patient will be responsible for a $130.00 AIR AMBULANCE patient fee which is a flat rate for all patients transported by the medical flight team.
If a patient is transported to a facility for initial assessment / treatment and (prior to the ambulance departing the facility) it is determined that the patient must be transferred to another facility by the ambulance that initially transferred the patient (as defined as a continuation trip) for further treatment within 1 1/2 hours of arriving at the original facility, only one $115.00 patient fee is to be charged to the patient.
As of June 01, 2011, any patient being transported between any government funded medical facilities will not be charged the $115.00 patient fee. During the 2011 Provincial Budget, it was announced that the $115.00 patient fee will no longer be required for any patient (whether you are an in-patient or not) who requires road ambulance transport to another medical facility.
For example; if you are at home (or anywhere for that matter) and suddenly become ill and you call for an ambulance, “you are responsible for the $115.00 patient fee to get you to the nearest medical facility”. Once you are at that medical facility and you are required to be transported to another medical facility to receive further treatment or diagnostic testing, “you are NOT responsible for the ambulance fee”!]
5. When a patient is required to utilize the services of two separate ambulance operators during a single transport (for example, if an ambulance breaks down and the patient is passed off from one ambulance service to another service), the patient shall only be billed one patient fee. The department shall pay the patient fee to the second operator who transports the patient; the first operator shall bill the patient as per normal procedure.
6. The department shall pay the road ambulance patient fees associated with HR & E clients that have a valid authorization number covering road ambulance usage and/or the transport has been provided in accordance with all Departmental policies , standards, and legislation governing ambulance services.