A number of cities and counties said medical resources have been protected from abuse after they began charging for ambulance use.
While ambulances are designed for people needing immediate medical assistance, some local governments said that people sometimes call the service even though there is no emergency.
Taoyuan County was the first to implement charges for ambulance use, with the cost ranging from NT$600 to NT$1,800 based on the travel distance and the type of emergency. The policy, which took effect in May 2012, was credited with reduced callouts within just two months, the county government said.
The Taipei City Government began to charge for ambulance use in July 2012. The Taipei policy is for members of a joint committee of the Taipei Department of Health and the Taipei City Fire Department to review ambulance missions and, if a person using the service is not admitted to one of 17 designated emergency rooms, a fine can be issued for abuse of the ambulance service.
The fine is NT$1,800, including a basic charge of NT$800 and a fee for two paramedics.
Greater Kaohsiung fines people NT$1,700 if they do not require hospital treatment or if emergency room personnel show that a callout was for a non-urgent situation.
The Greater Taichung Government charges for ambulance use if a callout is made for a person who is found not to need immediate medical assistance, does not go to a designated medical institution and do not register for emergency care. Those fulfilling all three criteria are charged NT$600 as well as NT$1,000 for paramedics.
The first 10km of travel is not charged for, but a fee of NT$25 per kilometer is applied after that, the Taichung City government said.
The New Taipei City Government is yet to establish charges for ambulance use. Some New Taipei City councilors have said that abuse of medical resources will increase because ambulances in New Taipei City can be used by people who do not live within the city limits, a rule that took effect last year.
The New Taipei City Fire Department said the city does not charge for ambulance callouts after it considered the needs of economically or physically disadvantaged people as well as elderly people who live alone, adding that some might not be able to afford an ambulance if they need to be taken to hospital.
New Taipei City Councilor Chen Chi-neng (陳啟能) said the city must first define what behavior constitutes abuse of the ambulance service, otherwise people would resent a policy change.
Chen said he opposes the use of New Taipei City ambulances in response to calls from outside the city’s limits.
Government data showed that last year, New Taipei City responded to about 16,000 calls for ambulances, with non-urgent calls accounting for 8.5 percent of the total.
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