Premier Brian Pallister announced on Tuesday, April 3, 2018, that the province has cut ambulance fees once again this time by $85 per trip.
“Manitobans going through a potentially life-threatening situation should not have to worry about whether they can afford an ambulance before calling for one,” said Pallister.
The premier said that additional reductions are planned as the conservatives had made a promise to reduce fees in half during their first term that ends in 2020.
The new fee reduction means that average ambulance trip in the province is about $340 which is down by about 20% from 2016 $522 fee.
[jaw_quote author=”Kelvin Goertzen – Health, Seniors and Active Living Minister” ]Manitobans deserve to have predictable, reliable ambulance services right across the province[/jaw_quote][jaw_clear]
Ambulance service costs are the responsibility of the patient across Canada and are provided by a number of providers. In Manitoba ambulances are provided by municipalities like Winnipeg, regional health authorities and first nation communities.
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The province covers the fees associated with inter-facility transfers between health-care facilities including:
• the Northern Patient Transportation Program, which subsidizes medically necessary transportation for residents in the north;
• helicopter transportation to patients requiring critical and emergent care within a 250-kilometre radius of Winnipeg; and
• the Lifeflight Air Ambulance program, which provides specialized inter-facility transport for critically ill or injured Manitoba residents who live further than 200 km from Winnipeg.
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