$300,000 ambulance fee increase upsets aged care homes

13 July 2016

Media Release

Surprise $300,000 ambulance fee increase upsets aged care homes

A surprise increase in emergency ambulance charges has come without any consultation and will place an additional burden of $300,000 annually on the aged residential care sector, says the New Zealand Aged Care Association (NZACA).

Simon Wallace, Chief Executive of NZACA which represents around 600 care homes, or 90% of the residential aged care sector, says he is extremely disappointed that the Ministry of Health has given approval for St John Ambulance to increase medical emergency ambulance call out charges from $88 to $98.

“Our members have around 30,000 medical emergency ambulance call-outs per year, which means the $10 increase equates to a total additional bill of $300,000 annually.”

Mr Wallace says the increase has come out of the blue, despite NZACA being in regular discussions with the Ministry of Health and St John.
“It’s been imposed on top of a 40% increase in ambulance call out charges at the beginning of 2014, which means our care homes have been hit with a 50% increase in just over two years.

“Many NZACA members are small religious, welfare or not-for-profit care home operators. Because of their contractual agreement with the Ministry of Health, they can’t pass this additional charge on to residents, so will have to cut back in other areas.”

Because of the advanced age and frailty of many residents, ambulance is often the only way to transport them safely, says Mr Wallace.

“We have been in regular discussions with the Ministry of Health and St John to highlight the burden ambulance charges place on our members, particularly those in rural areas. We had recommended they cap the cost and limit the number of trips a care home must pay for a resident and introduce a rural supplement.

“This increase flies in the face of those discussions and given we are such an important user of St John services, the lack of consultation is extremely disappointing.”

He says NZACA is seeking an urgent meeting with the Ministry of Health and St John Ambulance to express members’ concerns around both the fee increase and the lack of engagement.

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