Marketplace

No Free Ride (42x13)

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Canada's universal health care system is a source of national pride: Money or income doesn't determine access when you need emergency care. At least it's not supposed to. A Marketplace investigation finds almost every province charges for ambulance services, with fees ranging from $45 to hundreds of dollars, and reveals other costs that can't be measured in dollars and cents. Host Erica Johnson meets Canadians who are stressed emotionally and financially after using ambulance services in emergencies. We reveal how some are risking their lives, or those of their loved ones, by delaying calling an ambulance or finding other ways to the hospital. We show how many Canadians are making that dangerous calculation, delaying an ambulance because of cost. Plus, we visit one province that has opted to remove ambulance fees, and show how a vast majority of Canadians want the same across the country.