Special Ambulance Within 10km Costs 75,000 Won
All 10+ Companies Charge 'Whatever They Want'
Additional Fees Demanded for Waiting Time, etc.
Ministry of Health's Regular Survey Only Once a Year
[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee]Mr. Jang Sang-ho (35, pseudonym) recently called a private ambulance for his father, who suffers from a mental illness. They traveled 7.5 km. The transportation and treatment fee on the bill Jang received was 350,000 KRW. Jang said, "The situation was urgent, so I paid for it at once, but later I realized the price was outrageous." Ms. Kim Hee-young (42, pseudonym) inquired about the fare from Gangnam Station to Gyeonggi Ilsan Hospital (31 km). There was a difference of more than 30,000 KRW depending on the transport center. Some places said it was difficult to have an emergency medical technician accompany the patient.
On the 6th, Asia Economy checked about 10 nationwide 24-hour emergency transport centers and found that none of them provided the legally mandated fare information. Due to this situation, many inquiries about costs are being made privately on websites. In the case of taxis, although standards vary by local government, fares can be checked on the meter based on distance and time. Although ambulances also have a fare system, most of the time the price is "whatever they ask for" depending on the situation. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the transportation and treatment fee within 10 km is 30,000 KRW for a general ambulance and 75,000 KRW for a special ambulance. If an emergency medical technician is on board, an additional 15,000 KRW is charged for a general ambulance.
Besides excessive fee charges, illegal activities are also occurring. These include demanding additional fees for the use of medicines, waiting time, round trips, and out-of-town travel. These are also illegal. Ms. Lee Min-hee (34, pseudonym), who lives in Songpa, Seoul, said, "I used the same route a month ago; the first fare was 80,000 KRW, but the second time they charged 90,000 KRW," adding, "An additional 75,000 KRW was charged for one hour of waiting."
An official from a local government said, "There are cases where additional fees are secretly demanded," and added, "We conduct a regular survey once a year, but it is difficult to grasp all the costs per case besides labor costs. We encourage users to report through various channels such as the Ministry of Health and Welfare, local governments, and the National Sinmungo (Civil Complaint Portal)."
Since patient transport work has a public interest aspect, there are calls to mandate at least the disclosure of fares.
Professor Kim Ho-jun of Soonchunhyang University’s Department of Emergency Medicine explained, "Even though private ambulances have existed for 10 years, there are no regulations other than the price per kilometer, so the price is whatever they ask for," and added, "Even if they were involved at the time of establishment, they do not participate in operations afterward, so there is no one responsible for medical accountability." Professor Kim urged, "The government should create a pricing system that reflects cases such as transporting mental illness patients and long waiting times." Professor Kim Dae-hee, clinical professor at Incheon St. Mary’s Hospital Emergency Medical Center and advisor to the Military Human Rights Center, said, "Although there is a system called the legal price, management and supervision are not properly conducted," and added, "It should be actively disclosed, and the government should consider some support measures to ensure compliance."
Safety measures for private ambulance staff should also be established considering the risk exposure. Previously, a man in his 50s with alcohol dependence, Mr. Song, stabbed and killed a private ambulance staff member who came to transport him to a psychiatric hospital.
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