An Alberta mother who is on the hook for the cost of an air ambulance after prematurely giving birth in northern Ontario says the bill isn't as much as she first feared, but she still has to pay thousands of dollars to fly her baby home.
Amy Savill, from High Prairie, Alta., was vacationing in northern Ontario earlier this summer when she suddenly went into labour, two months before her expected due date.
Her family initially took her to a hospital in Timmins, only to be told that staff were not equipped to handle births under 32 weeks.
An air ambulance was arranged to take her to Sudbury, with an estimated cost of somewhere between $10,000 and $30,000.
Initially, Savill thought the Ontario or Alberta governments would pick up the tab. However, she discovered she would be on the hook for the cost of two pilots, two advanced care paramedics and a helicopter.
She has finally received the bill and to her relief, it's not as high as first feared.
"First I was like – ahh it's here. What's it going to be like?” she told CTV Sudbury.
Savill didn't disclose the exact amount, but admits it is still an expensive bill.
"It's still in the thousands of dollars so we are still trying some avenues of getting it paid," she said.
Ontario's Council of Hospitals has come out in support of Savill, arguing that the province should cover the cost of the air ambulance transfer.
"Canadians should never be charged," said Eric Newstadt, a researcher with the council.
Savill shouldn't be charged for accessing services that were medically necessary, he added.
Newstadt says the helicopter bill is a violation of the Canada Health Act, which guarantees portable healthcare among provinces.
Ontario’s Ministry of Health hasn’t commented on the case but a spokesperson told CTV Toronto the ministry was looking into the case.
Meanwhile, Savill is struggling to pay for a $55,000 medical flight to fly her daughter home to Alberta.
An Ontario group called Global Angel has been working to raise money for Savill and has collected about $15,000 so far.
