Bakersfield Now
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — How much would you be willing to shell out for a ride in an ambulance during an emergency?
One woman got her bill in the mail and immediately thought something was wrong. That’s when she called the Eyewitness News tipline for help.
Jan Griffith said she was in excruciating pain. She called 911 and was rushed to the hospital.
Griffith was charged more than $1,200 for the ambulance ride, less than a mile from her home. It was one item on her bill that shocked her the most.
“The bill reads $89 for a night fee. Why on earth would there be a night call fee when it’s the persons’ regular shift?” Griffith questioned.
Griffith said she called Hall Ambulance Service for the answer but was told Kern County mandates the prices. Ross Elliott, director of the Emergency Medical Services Division of Public Health Services for the county, said it’s a part of the overall ambulance charge.
“It probably doesn’t cost them $89 to run after 7 p.m., compared to before, but more needs to be charged to cover the system,” Elliott said.
Jackie Att, of Hall Ambulance Services, said the fee is industry practice.
“These employees are up at night. They have to leave there families. This is a cost to get them to come in to work,” Att said.
Hall Ambulance Services is a private company, owned by Bakersfield Mayor Harvey Hall. It responds to 87 percent of all 911 call in Kern County.
The prices are approved by the county and Hall Ambulances Service. However, Griffith still feels she’s being scammed.
“I feel like they’re scamming more than me,” Griffith said.
Every ambulance service in the county charge a night call fee. The price ranges between $75 to $125 per call. These rates were approved last year by the county.
Reprinted with permission from Bakersfield Now.