Ambulance Victoria has quietly raised its fees for helicopter transport. Source: News Corp Australia
THE state's most seriously ill patients face soaring bills for their emergency rescue and retrieval after Ambulance Victoria increased its air ambulance fees by thousands of dollars.
The ambulance service quietly raised its fees for helicopter transport and care by 20 per cent on November 1, with even the shortest flight now costing $4124.31, and every additional minute after an hour costing $68.74.
The price rise only affects patients without ambulance membership. But hospitals will also be severely stung by increased bills for transfers to other facilities.
And the Transport Accident Commission will be hit with higher charges for transporting car crash victims, as will the Department of Veterans Affairs and WorkSafe.
It comes after the service lost $35 million last financial year from operating five helicopters. It also is down an additional $15 million from running its fixed-wing aircraft.
Ambulance Victoria chief Greg Sassella said the fees for helicopter rescue had not kept pace with the costs of running the life-saving service, which transported 1810 patients from 2283 emergency cases last financial year.
Opposition parliamentary spokesman for health Wade Noonan said the substantial fee rise would hit "the sickest and most traumatised" patients, mostly in country Victoria.
Ashley Gardiner, spokesman for Health Minister David Davis, said hospitals would take a $400,000 hit from the increased fees.
But Mr Gardiner said it was less than the $600,000 carbon tax bill imposed on Ambulance Victoria.
