Note: please use the information presented here as a guide only, individuals should confirm that they have health plan coverage for ambulance fees.
The responsibility for paying the fee for an ambulance has been somewhat unclear for various groups that might inhabit the Biological Sciences Department. Ambulance fees can be expensive and while we do not want the potential cost to influence a first aider's decision to request an ambulance, we should be aware that someone has to pay the bill and it could fall to the injured individual.
Local municipalities set the ambulance services in their area and within the City of Edmonton, the fees as of January 2008 are:
Activity
Resident of Edmonton
non-resident
cost / km (outside of City limits)
Ambulance Response only
$229
$336
$3.54
Response + Conveyance
$358
$497
$3.54
These costs are not trivial but they may be covered by the employer or by a health care insurance plan.
1. Work-related injury/illness that qualifies as a Workers Compensation Board (WCB) Claim:
The injury must be related to a person's work activity, e.g. injury from a cut or fall during work, a chemical exposure or a vehicle collision when driving as part of your work. For a work-related injury involving UofA staff, the UofA as the Employer pays for the ambulance. For students (undergraduate and graduate) who are registered in an academic program leading to a degree, the Government of Alberta is considered the Employer for WCB purposes and they would cover the ambulance cost. For students, the injury must result from an activity that is part of their academic program (e.g. while collecting field samples for graduate research or during an undergraduate lab exercise). An ambulance bill would be submitted by the individual to the UofA WCB Administrator for payment. The injured person should have previously submitted a Worker's WCB report at the time of the incident.
Look at the UofA Human Resources Services webpage describing WCB claims.
2. Non-work-related injury:
If the injury/illness is not directly related to work (or a program of study activity for students), then this is not a WCB claim and the fee is not the responsibility of the employer (or the Alberta Government). Some examples are: injury from a vehicle collision on the way to work, tripping while walking at lunchtime, fainting during a lecture or a lab period. In these cases, the fee will be paid by the individual unless the person is covered by a health care plan that includes ambulance fees (basic Alberta Health Care does not). Most UofA employees and full time graduate students have supplementary health care insurance that covers ambulance fees. Undergraduate students may be covered by their own extended health care plan (e.g. Blue Cross) or possibly their parent's health insurance even if they are not living at home. Students without any extended health care coverage might apply to the University Student Services for an emergency loan or bursary if they can make a case for financial distress.
Collaborators (people employed at some other institution but working on projects with UofA employees/students) should contact their employer for information on ambulance coverage.
Volunteer workers and visitors to the university are responsible for their own ambulance fees.
Summary of who might pay for an ambulance fee:
Group
Injury/Illness Directly related to work activity
Injury/Illness not directly related to work activity
UA Staff (academic, trust, operating funded)
employer
supplementary health care plan provider
Graduate Student (full time)
AB Higher Education
supplementary health care plan provider
Undergraduate Student
AB Higher Education
the student ¶
Collaborator
their employer
the collaborator ¶
Volunteer
the volunteer ¶
the volunteer ¶
Visitor
the visitor ¶
the visitor ¶
¶ the individual would have to pay unless they were covered by a supplementary health care plan that included ambulance fees. Such a plan could be their own, their spouse’s or for students, possibly their parent’s.
