Legal Liability For Ambulance Bill

[Migmize]

We live in Northern California. In November 2007 my wife had a fainting spell at work. While she never went unconscious, she did definitely "grayed out". She works at a bank. A customer called 911 and paramedics arrived quickly. She stabalized and was told by paramedics that she should go to the ER. On 3-4 seperate occaisons she refused an ambutlance. At the 4th or 5th (she does not remember the exact number of times) request by an aggressive ambulance carrier employee she conceded.

One month later we received a bill for $2,000. The distance from her work to the hospital is approx. 1 mile. She had no idea the ambulance carrier was a private, for profit business, in fact we've never considered it up to this point. We always assumed an ambulance to be part of the embergency services covered by city taxes. She feels that she was coerced by an "aggressive" ambulance crew as they reported to her that her heart beat was not steady and here blood pressure was high. Both of these proved not true once tested at the ER. In fact she was released within 3 hours of the beginning of the fainiting incident with a clean bill of health. She could have easily gotten a ride to the hospital by a coworker or myself, as I was in route.

She did not call the ambulance. She did not agree to any terms of service nor sign a contract. Costs were never brought up until the bill arrived. She refused to take an ambulance at least 3, maybe 4 times. She felt she was "brow beat" to go with them for her own "safety".

We've been trying to discuss this with the private carrie for over 2 months now and no-one in a supervisory position has been able to talk with us.

We do not want this to end up in collections, however it doesn't seem appropriate that we are responsible for a $2,000 bill for services not requested, nor contracted by my wife. It was an emergency situation, we received no bills from the paramedics, insurance covered the hospital doctors but refused the ambulance.

Any suggestions on how to proceed?

Thanks.

[Betty3]

Someone has to be responsible for the ambulance bill. Since your wife was the one taken to the hosp. by the ambulance, it is her responsibility to see that the bill is taken care of.

[gigirle]

She feels that she was coerced by an "aggressive" ambulance crew as they reported to her that her heart beat was not steady and here blood pressure was high. Both of these proved not true once tested at the ER

This may have not been the case at the scene. The ambulance crew are licensed professionals, they didn't create her vital signs, they were actual observable measures that are outlined as criteria for transport. Thank Goodness your wife is okay. They are also trained to treat that "unsteady heartbeat" when it really becomes unsteady and needs advanced cardiac lifesupport. If she had went into full arrest and was DOA and they revived her, would it have been cost effective? You can't have it both ways.

Given her history of having this happen by your account of 3 or 4 other times, they were exactly correct in transporting her to the hospital and you have to pay the bill because you received treatment. The ER Dr is NOT a heart doctor. The symptoms described warrent an extensive cardiac workup but is not in an emergency situation when you arrived at the ER.

From a medical stand point and not legal (I know not the right forum) I strongly suggest your wife seeks a full workup as something is causing her to pass out and unless her bp pills have recently been changed this shouldn't be happening.
Good Luck

[seniorjudge]

Someone has to be responsible for the ambulance bill. Since your wife was the one taken to the hosp. by the ambulance, it is her responsibility to see that the bill is taken care of.

Yep.

I agree.

[Migmize]

Thank you all for the input. Its necessary sometimes to "hear" impartial opinions on an issue that one is emotionally involved with.

Just to clarify ggirle, this is my wife's first and only episode with something like this. The 3 or 4 times I mentioned in the original post was her refusal to take an ambulance. The fainting spell never reoccurred. Her heatbeat was stable upon admittance, BP never documented over 130, no other signs or reoccurance. The ER did a full chem workup. The resident heart doctor did an eval. and made her wear a "take-home" heart monitor for 24 hours. No chem evidence nor reoccurance of an abnormal cardiac event. The doctors attributed it to minor palpitations possibly caused by diet, caffeine, hydration...they didn't know.

Anyway I know this is not a medical forum...My issue is the fact that a monopoly within our city, with whom we did not choose to do business, has the right to demand payment of any amount they see fit to bill. The service was refused 3-4 seperate times. After the first no, the ambulance staff should have backed down - they have their waiver forms on hand to cover themselves. The bill was 1800+/- for the call, 50+/- for oxygen and 150+/- for mileage - the hospital is a mile away - seems unreasonable.

Can anyone give a direction to research in the CA code that governs emergency services and their costs. There must be some sort of "consumer protection".

Thanks again for all the input.

[gigi54]

My husband had a similar situation. He was in the waiting room at the cancer center that has been treating him to have a PET scan done.
He suddenly broke into a sweat and I went to get a nurse to check his
blood pressure. When we returned, he had blacked out in the chair, his heart rate had dropped below 30 and they couldn't get a blood pressure
reading. The cancer center called 911 to be transported to the hospital across the street where upon arrival was stable again. The hospital diagnosed his episode as syncope which was caused by a medication he was on called Lopressor or Metoprolol that made his heart rate drop to an unsafe level. Needless to say he is no longer taking it. I don't know if your wife is on any medications, but you might check possible side effects.
Best of luck to you both. p.s. we also now have ambulance bills with no insurance.