NYC Ambulance Price Hike to Take Effect Monday

By Matis Glenn

The cost of a trip to the hospital in a FDNY ambulance is set to increase Monday, according to Spectrum News.

Previously, trips would cost $900. The new price is $1,385, marking a 54% jump.

The price-per-mile is also increasing, from $15 to $20.

“This can hurt a lot of people,” Oren Barzilay, president of Local 2507, a union that represents uniformed emergency medical told Spectrum. “This is a huge increase. People can’t pay the bill as of now as it is, so now to add additional costs to the public I think it’s not necessary.”

Barzilay says that the price increase might lead to more people using cab services or going themselves to the hospital, which can be dangerous in an emergency.

“It’s a life and death situation, an Uber driver is not trained. They don’t have the drugs that we have, they don’t have defibrillators, they don’t have narcotics,” Barzilay said.

The FDNY says that they need the extra money due to inflation and higher EMS worker salaries.

Barzilay and his union disagree.

“Whoever came up with this solution or blaming game on EMS people to increase these rates should be fired,” Barzilay said. “It’s insulting, offensive and uncalled for.”