A Royal Oak woman, Leandra Osborn, was shocked to receive a $1,450 bill for an ambulance ride she never took.
The incident began when Osborn, a massage therapist, passed out at work, Click on Detroit reports. EMS services were called, but by the time they arrived, she was feeling fine and declined transportation, signing a waiver to that effect.
Weeks later, Osborn was blindsided by a bill from Universal Ambulance Services for “transportation provided,” despite not being transported anywhere. When she contacted the company to dispute the charges, she was informed that the fee was for their response and presence at the scene.
After months of disputing the charges, Osborn filed complaints online, including one with the State of Michigan, and eventually received the news the bill was canceled.
In response to the controversy, Universal Ambulance Services provided a statement that late last year, then company reduced its “treat, no transport” fee by over 50 percent to ease the financial burden on patients.
