The provincial government has announced that beginning Dec. 14, ambulance fees will be significantly reduced for seniors in Saskatchewan.
Transport costs will jump from $275 per trip to $135, and there will no longer be a cost to transfer by ambulance between healthcare facilities in the province. This includes health centres, mental health and addiction centres and special care homes.
Seniors will now be provided full coverage for these transfers under the Senior Citizens’ Ambulance Assistance Program (SCAAP), which is available for residents over the age of 65 who hold a valid Saskatchewan health card and are not insured by other government services like Health Canada, Workers Compensation or SGI.
The changes to ambulance charges is a campaign promise made during Scott Moe’s election tour earlier this fall.
“Our government is living up to its promise to provide Saskatchewan’s seniors with quality, affordable healthcare,” said Mental Health and Addictions, Seniors and Rural and Remote Health Minister Everett Hindley, in a press release. “The investments we make now will help to address the future needs of our province’s growing senior population, while demonstrating our commitment to those who helped build our great province.”
The cost of the increased subsidy through SCAAP is estimated at $2.2 million for the remainder of the 2020-21 fiscal year and $6.6 million annually.
