(File Photo/paNOW Staff)

By Jaryn Vecchio

Feeling Frustrated

P.A. man unable to pay $1K ambulance bill despite claiming he was told it was free

Aug 15, 2023 | 4:49 PM

A Prince Albert man believes he was lied to after getting a roughly $1,000 bill for using an ambulance.

Back in February, David Irwin was taken to the Victoria Hospital by Parkland Ambulance after experiencing chest pains.

It was determined he had suffered an aneurysm and needed to be transported to Saskatoon to get proper care.

Irwin told paNOW the nurse overseeing him wanted him to be transported by paramedics as he was at risk of having a heart attack, however, he didn’t want to due to the potential cost.

“She said because what you need done we don’t do here, so there’s no charge to the ambulance.”

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He claimed he eventually took their offer after being reassured a couple more times.

Irwin was kept at the Royal University Hospital for a week before coming back to P.A. He noted a few days later he received a bill for over $1,300. Just over $1,000 was for the trip to Saskatoon and the remaining $325 was for when paramedics took him to the Victoria Hospital.

“I have a very severe heart condition; the outside of my heart has died from the last heart attack I had recently and (doctors) told me no stress. When I got this bill, my stress level was incredible, my blood pressure went through the roof,” Irwin said.

He explained he can’t afford to pay the bill which has since been sent over to collections. He brings in roughly $1,300 a month through the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) disability benefit.

Irwin said he’s open to paying the $325, though he is frustrated as he was told he was being charged, but he can only do it through a payment plan.

“The best I can do is probably $30 a month, but that’s still going to take me a year to pay it off.”

That $30 would come out of his food budget. When asked if he would go to the P.A. Food Bank since he was losing money for food, he noted he wouldn’t.

“There are other people out there that I feel need it a lot more than I do, so I always run on a sense of others come first.”

Irwin is hoping to have the $1,000 bill erased since he was told he didn’t have to pay. He also believes paramedics should explain that they’re charging people when they use their ambulance.

Meanwhile, Parkland Ambulance said they issued the bill due to the policies and rates established by the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA).

“The policies and rates are the same whether you live in Prince Albert, Meadow Lake, Swift Current, or Regina. The policies and rates are the same for every single ambulance service in the province,” said a statement from the paramedic service.

It also explained they have no direct knowledge of Irwin being told the ride would be free.

Parkland Ambulance also said that Irwin can call them directly to discuss the issue in detail if he wants.

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Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow