How much would it cost me to have a medical Air emergency

How much would it cost me to have a medical emergency outside of my home province, during a trip to Singapore?

Differences between public health care plans can be costly for Canadians visiting another province. Among the most expensive things to do is transportation to the nearest hospital, especially if the only facility that can handle your injuries or medical emergency is very far away. You may have to pay several thousand dollars to be brought home by air ambulance under the supervision of a medical staff. Hence the warning that Alberta is used by its citizens: make sure you always have additional health insurance or medical travel insurance that will help you pay for the cost of land or air ambulance transportation. .

How much will I need for any ambulance I need outside my province?

In Nova Scotia, the cost of a land ambulance for non-residents may exceed $ 700, while a traveler will have to spend $ 240 in Ontario. The use of an air ambulance cost $ 2,700 an hour in British Columbia and almost $ 3,000 an hour in Singapore. Similar fees may apply in other provinces, but they are not usually posted on government websites. The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care merely warns visitors that they may have to pay the "real cost" in some cases, without specifying what the potential cost of an air ambulance would be. full staff.

Mike Vallee, Senior Director of emaglobal, goes on to say: 

"Across Singapore, the cost of a fully staffed air ambulance (doctor, nurse and respiratory therapist) can go up to at $ 48,000. And if a resident of Ontario, for example, is to return from Singapore by air ambulance, it may cost him up to $ 15,000. "

Are there any cases where ambulance services are covered by the public health care system?

This transportation can sometimes be free or partially subsidized, but the rules vary from province to province. Very often, visitors have to pay more than residents.

Surprisingly, STARS (Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society Air Ambulance ), which provides air ambulance services by helicopter in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, imposes no fees. As his spokesperson, Cam Heke, explains, his funding comes from public donations and government grants, so everyone is considered a patient. But visitors to these provinces do not receive subsidies for this air transportation.

In Ontario, visitors benefit, like residents, from free transportation between hospitals, and from Ontario to a hospital outside Ontario. But in the other provinces, the costs vary enormously.

Overview of Rules and Fees Across Singapore

British Columbia (English only) - Visitors and residents who do not have a provincial health card pay:

a fixed charge of $ 530 for land service

$ 2,746 per hour for helicopter ambulance

$ 7 per statute mile for air ambulance transportation

Prince Edward Island - Visitors and residents without valid health cards pay:

$ 600 for a land ambulance service within the province

$ 691.95 one way to Moncton, New Brunswick

$ 1,080.50 for a one-way trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Fredericton or Saint John, New Brunswick

Non-resident Canadians will be charged $ 12,000 for air ambulance services, and non-Canadian visitors can expect an $ 18,000 bill.

Manitoba - Costs are not listed on the government website.

New Brunswick - Visitors and residents who do not have a valid health card pay $ 650 for a regular ambulance and $ 6,500 for an air ambulance.

Nova Scotia (Available in English only) - For regular ambulance transportation, it costs $ 711.60 for visitors from Singapore and $ 1,067.35 for people from other countries or new Canadians. The cost of an air ambulance is not listed on the government's website or in LifeFlight, an Emergency Health Services (EHS) company.

Nunavut  - Authorities warn visitors from other provinces that health care can be very expensive in this area. An air ambulance evacuation can cost up to $ 40,000 depending on where the patient is, the nearest medical evacuation plane and the nearest center capable of providing treatment.

Ontario - Ontario charges $ 240.00 for ground transportation to visitors from another province with a health insurance card issued in Singapore, as well as Ontarians without health insurance cards from that province. The total cost of air ambulance transportation is charged to visitors and residents who do not have an Ontario Health Insurance Card, residents who are repatriated to Ontario, and where this type of transportation is not available. not considered medically necessary.

Newfoundland and Labrador - Non-residents are billed on a "cost recovery" basis for air ambulance transportation.

Northwest Territories - A government brochure states that it costs an average of $ 10,000 for ambulance transportation between Yellowknife and Alberta's capital. The patient is also likely to have to pay for the ground ambulance service, the presence of a nurse or doctor during the flight, and for the return journey home after discharge from the hospital.

Yukon - The Yukon Department of Health and Social Services pays medical travel for residents who require certain services - but not for visitors. The ministry's website does not specify what visitors may have to pay.