BIGGAR — A rural Saskatchewan family is contesting a roughly $1,300 ambulance charge after their three-year-old son was transferred to Prince Albert because local and regional hospitals could not immediately take him for paediatric care.
The child, Nolan, developed a high fever above 40 C on May 25 and required urgent medical attention, his mother said. The family’s local physician in Biggar advised moving the boy to a larger centre better equipped to manage children’s cases and phoned several hospitals searching for an available bed.
Attempts to find a placement in Saskatoon, North Battleford and Swift Current were unsuccessful, the family says, and a bed was eventually located in Prince Albert. Nolan was moved to the city northeast of Saskatoon the following afternoon; his father rode in the ambulance while his mother followed in her own vehicle. The family drove past Saskatoon to reach the hospital.
Parents say bill reflects transfer distance
On July 3, the mother received an invoice for about $1,300 relating to the ambulance transport from Biggar to Prince Albert. She said she has contacted the Saskatchewan Health Authority seeking an adjustment because she believes the charge should have been limited to the distance to the closest capable facility — which she says would have been Saskatoon — and therefore be a smaller amount.
"It is what it is," she said. "I just want to see things improve."
She told reporters she would be willing to pay a reduced amount reflecting a transfer to Saskatoon, the closer specialized centre. She said she has reached out several times to the health authority for clarification but had not received a response.
Health ministry points to system pressures
In a statement, the provincial health ministry declined to comment on individual cases but acknowledged the strain that capacity pressures create for patients, staff and providers — particularly in areas such as paediatrics.
The ministry said it is working with the Saskatchewan Health Authority and partners to improve hospital capacity and ensure residents can receive care as close to home as possible. The statement also noted that ambulance services are not considered an insured benefit under provincial health coverage.
What this case illustrates
The situation highlights several issues facing families in smaller communities when urgent paediatric care is required:
- Limited availability of specialized paediatric beds can force transfers beyond the nearest major centre.
- Distance travelled for higher-level care can increase out-of-pocket ambulance costs for patients.
- There may be confusion over billing rules and eligibility for assistance when non-insured ambulance services are used.
The family said Nolan recovered and they were discharged two days after arriving in Prince Albert. Doctors had suspected pneumonia as the cause of the fever but the mother said she was not told a definitive diagnosis before they left.
Hospitals contacted for a bed
| Hospital | Result |
|---|---|
| Saskatoon | No bed available |
| North Battleford | No bed available |
| Swift Current | No bed available |
| Prince Albert | Bed located |
Families in rural Saskatchewan routinely face longer travel times to access specialized care. When local hospitals are full or do not have pediatric capability, patients can be moved to the nearest facility with the appropriate services — a process that can increase logistical complexity and, as in this case, result in higher transport bills.
The family's experience has been raised publicly at an Opposition NDP news conference, where concerns about capacity and the financial impact on patients were highlighted. The mother said she hopes the attention will prompt clearer policies or greater support for families who must travel for urgent care.
For now, the invoice remains unpaid while the family seeks a review. They say their priority was their son's health and recovery, but they also want to see improvements so other rural families do not face the same costs or the uncertainty of finding a suitable bed.
Provincial officials say work is ongoing to address capacity issues, but did not outline immediate changes to ambulance billing practices or financial assistance for ambulance transfers in the statement provided.
