Manitoba ambulance fees are now $85 lower

Reduced fees for ambulance services in Manitoba took effect April 1. Premier Brian Pallister said Tuesday the price reduction, which was first announced in March, had now been implemented.

Lowering ambulance costs was a 2016 campaign promise. When the PCs assumed power, they promised to cut ambulance fees by 50 percent in four years.

At the time, the cost was $522 dollars plus a per kilometre fee. The PCs included the reduction in their budget last month, with fees dropping from $425 to $340.

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Pallister said no one should have to consider cost as a factor when faced with an emergency health situation.

“Our government continues to address that concern for Manitobans.  We have reduced ambulance fees by 35 per cent in the past two years as we work toward meeting our promise of cutting those bills in half by 2020.”

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Kelvin Goertzen, Manitoba health minister, said the province continues to work with recommendations made in a 2013 EMS Review.

“Manitobans deserve to have predictable, reliable ambulance services right across the province,” Goertzen said.

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Ambulance costs are a prime concern for Manitoba seniors.

Tom Farrell, president of the Manitoba Association for Senior Centres, said the move was a step in the right direction.

“Ambulance costs can be a major burden for many Manitobans including seniors on fixed incomes,” Farrell said.

Complete details regarding ambulance fees in Manitoba can be found on the government website.

-with files from Christian Aumell