Road ambulance services are provided through the health regions. Saskatchewan Health provides direct grants to health regions, with the balance of operating costs being covered through fees and charges established by individual health regions. These fees and charges may vary from region to region.
Some ambulance services are region-owned. Others provide services through contracts between regions and ambulance operators. The region provides grants to these contracted operators to cover a portion of their service costs. The remainder is subsidized through client charges. Client fees include:
- a basic call "pickup" rate
- a per kilometre rate
- a waiting time rate
- a special escort fee (if applicable), the rate for which is set according to the escort’s hourly wage (e.g. nurse, respiratory therapist)
In addition to direct funding for road ambulance service, Saskatchewan Health funds programs to help individuals with the cost of ambulance trips:
- Senior Citizens' Ambulance Assistance Program (SCAAP) - Seniors have the highest need and comprise the highest percentage of those using ambulance services. The SCAAP caps fees for seniors (65 years of age and over) at $275 per ambulance trip within the province.
- Supplementary Health Program - Lower-income residents (those receiving Saskatchewan Assistance Plan benefits and nominated by Social Services for supplementary health benefits) have the full cost of ambulance service covered by Saskatchewan Health's Supplementary Health Program. Through the Children’s Benefit Program, children (up to and including 17 years of age) of eligible, lower-income families also have the cost of emergency ambulance services fully covered through the Supplementary Health Program.
- Workers' Compensation/SGI - If an individual is injured at work or involved in a motor vehicle accident, other government agencies such as WCB and SGI cover the complete cost for eligible individuals.
