Ambulance vs. Taxi: Who should you call in an emergency
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One night, Jane woke up with excruciating pain in her stomach. For the next few hours, she tossed and turned in bed as the pain worsened until she couldn’t take it any longer. Despite the immense pain, Jane decided to call for a taxi instead of an emergency ambulance.
Can you guess why?
If you don’t already know, an ambulance trip can be costly. That is why most people decide on calling a taxi over an ambulance. But why is the cost of an ambulance so expensive?
There are two main factors. Firstly, the severity of the situation counts. In most countries, ambulance trips do not cost a cent if it’s an emergency situation, e.g. a heart attack or a stroke. However, there will be a cost if it is determined to be a non-emergency case—even if you were experiencing intense pain and agony at the point of time.
Secondly, the type of ambulance matters. In some countries, public ambulance services are deemed less efficient. As a result, people turn to private ambulances which are more reliable but are also costlier. While calling a taxi is one way to reduce overall medical expenses, it is not without its limitations. The cost of an ambulance is partly due to the availability of trained professionals and medical equipment on-board that can save your life en-route to the hospital. While not all health insurance packages provide coverage for the cost of ambulances, one should recognise the importance of calling for professional help in times of emergencies so that lives are not risked in order to save on that cost. After all, if you have a health insurance plan in place, you would already be protecting yourself from extensive hospitalisation and medication charges.
Check out what sets an ambulance apart from a taxi below—some of these features could save your life!
When it comes to emergencies, calling for the right kind of help and having health insurance in place can lessen the burden of medical costs. Read more about our health insurance plans here.
