Doctor faced with $250 ambulance bill after administering CPR off duty

Ian Sautanto says he got a $250 bill from AHS after he performed CPR on a person in distress and then got checked out by paramedics.

An Edmonton doctor received an unexpected bill in the mail after he helped save a man who went into cardiac arrest.

Ian Sutanto was at basketball practice at a school in the Riverbend area on June 19 when one of his teammates collapsed.

The man became unresponsive and Sutanto began administering CPR. An automated external defibrillator was found at the nearby school.

“I’ve actually never done CPR outside of a hospital setting, so this is the first time, just a random out in public kind of situation,” said Sutanto. “Thank goodness there was an AED at the school, because I think that was crucially important.”

By the time emergency services arrived, the man started to breathe. He was assessed and taken to hospital.

A paramedic checked on Sutanto, who was feeling fatigued after giving CPR.

On Friday, Sutanto got a bill in the mail for $250.

“I was aware that often, if you get transported or use ambulance services, there might be a charge that you have to put through insurance,” he explained. “I wasn’t aware that if they showed up or attended to you, that instigates the charge.”

Alberta Hospital and Surgical Health Services has since cancelled Sutanto’s bill.

“To ensure the policy’s intended application is clear and transparent for Albertans, EHS has made the decision to cancel the individual’s bill and will work with the Ministry of Hospital and Surgical Health Services to review the policy,” said a statement from the agency.

The government said it hasn’t changed its ambulance policy since 2015.

Sutanto said he would like to see ambulance services get covered, or at least be more subsidized like in other provinces.

As for the man that Sutanto saved, he has since undergone heart surgery and has been discharged.

“It’s a great outcome … CPR training can be life-saving, and it’s an important skill,” said Sutanto.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Nahreman Issa