3 Smart Ways to Avoid Surprise Ambulance Bills

Lately, there have been significant numbers of consumer reports and news articles in the USA regarding the growing numbers of high ambulance bills that come as a surprise to the patient. Apparently, this is becoming a problem in countries around the world.

Perthnow reports that, in Australia, people are dying because their fear of high ambulance bills causes them to delay instead of calling an ambulance when they are having a heart attack or other medical emergency. Let's discuss 3 smart steps you can take to reduce your chances of having this type of horrifying situation happen to you.

Make Arrangements for Private Health Insurance Including Ambulance Cover

Before an emergency arises, it is smart to review your options for ambulance cover. The costs for ambulance transport can vary dramatically depending on the location and circumstances of the medical emergency. You may wish to determine beforehand what the typical out-of-pocket costs for an ambulance ride are in your area. If the expense would put you in debt, health insurance that includes ambulance cover is a worthwhile consideration.

Don't Get in an Ambulance Unless It's Truly an Emergency

The Consumerist website reports a story about a woman in the USA who had an automobile accident. A passerby saw the incident and called an ambulance. The woman was unhurt, did not require medical care, and did not ride to the hospital in the ambulance. However, the emergency medical staff in the ambulance spent time examining her. She was surprised to receive a bill from the ambulance company. We can all learn a lesson from this story and others like it. Avoid setting foot in an ambulance unless an actual, life-threatening emergency is at hand.

Learn Life-Saving Remedies and First-Aid Techniques

Keeping emergency medical supplies on hand at home and knowing how to use them can avert many potential disasters, saving you the trouble and expense of calling an ambulance. This will involve making some small upfront investments, but those investments could pay off tremendously in the event an actual emergency occurs.

Learning the following simple life-saving remedies and first-aid techniques will allow you to deal with many common emergencies; once the major threat is past, you can then opt to take a taxi to your healthcare facility for further medical care, thus avoiding the necessity of an expensive ambulance ride.

The Heimlich Manoeuvre -- This is a rescue procedure you can use when someone over the age of one year old is choking.

Cayenne Pepper for Heart Attacks or Flesh Wounds -- Ordinary cayenne pepper, the same stuff you'd use for seasoning chilli or tacos, is one of the most affordable and effective emergency first aid supplies you can buy. There are at least two types of life-threatening emergencies it can help you deal with: heart attacks and bleeding wounds.

Cayenne pepper is a stimulant to the circulatory system. If a heart attack victim is coherent enough to drink liquids, stir a teaspoon of cayenne pepper into hot water and give it to him or her. If the heart attack victim is too incapacitated to drink, try sprinkling powdered cayenne pepper onto his or her tongue. If someone is bleeding, pack the wound full of cayenne pepper to rapidly stop the flow of blood.

Activated Charcoal and Bentonite Clay for Poisoning -- Many heavy metals, poisons and other harmful substances can be removed from the body with activated charcoal or bentonite clay. Activated charcoal can help to detoxify the body after drug overdoses or food poisoning. Life is full of surprises, and no amount of planning or preparation can guarantee that you'll be able to avoid all surprises of the unpleasant sort.

However, in some cases, a bit of pre-planning and a few small investments could help you to avoid high ambulance bills. Of course, calling an ambulance during life-threatening emergencies is certainly recommended. For that reason, finding excellent ambulance cover is essential. Keeping all the above information in mind could help you to save substantial amounts of money when future medical emergencies arise