From January 1st, 2019, emergency ambulance call outs will be invoiced at €60 per person for everyone, by virtue of the pricing standardisation announced by the Minister for Health, Maggie De Block. The change comes as part of a reform of emergency assistance. La Libre Belgique and the Sudpresse publications are reporting upon this on Friday.
The minister has requested that, from this coming January, ambulance invoices should be clearer and more transparent. Thus it has been decided that a single fixed price of €60 should be charged. The fixed price is applicable across the entire country wherever the location that the patient is taken in by the paramedics.
The department explains, “The fixed price applies regardless of the number of kilometres travelled. In this way, we are also wanting to respond to the problem in rural areas where we will be able to guarantee a more reasonable price.”
Moreover, again at the initiative of Maggie De Block, the government is releasing a total of €35 million to provide additional support to the emergency medical services sector (“AMU”), and increase the subsidies for the ambulance services. The objective of the reform is to improve the emergency transport of patients following calls to 112.
The Brussels Times
