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Ambulance Charge Ruled Legal

Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
Wikimedia Commons
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The Florida Channel
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.

In Miami, the city can again charge non-residents a $100 surcharge on ambulance rides, the Miami Herald reports.

St. Petersburg resident Cheryl Haigley sued the city in 2010 after being charged for an ambulance ride, after she tripped and fell on a city sidewalk. She said the $100 non-resident surcharge - which was on top of a $345 bill for the ride - was an unfair tax, the Herald reports.

Last year, a trial court agreed with Haigley and ordered a stop to the surcharge, which was introduced in 1992. But a Third District Court of Appeal on Wednesday overturned a trial court ruling, which also ordered that the fee be returned to those who paid it, the Herald reports.

According to the Herald, Haigley intends to appeal the latest ruling.

Originally founded in December 2006 as an independent grassroots publication dedicated to coverage of health issues in Florida, Health News Florida was acquired by WUSF Public Media in September 2012.