Dr. Ian Sutanto was attending a father-son basketball game with his son on June 19 when one of the participating fathers suffered cardiac arrest and collapsed. Sutanto and another father immediately began CPR while others called 911 and retrieved an automated external defibrillator (AED).

"I've actually never done CPR outside of a hospital setting... Thank goodness there was an AED at the school, because I think that was crucially important," Sutanto told CTV News.

CTV News reported that the man began breathing again before he was taken to hospital. He later underwent heart surgery and has since been discharged.

After the incident, a paramedic offered to examine Sutanto after noticing he was winded and lightheaded. Sutanto agreed to the assessment, but nearly three weeks later he received a $250 ambulance bill.

Although the incident gained attention as a doctor receiving a bill after performing CPR, Alberta officials clarified that the charge was issued because Sutanto consented to a paramedic assessment after becoming lightheaded, not because he administered CPR or called 911.

Under Alberta's Emergency Health Services (EHS) policy, people who agree to a paramedic assessment may be billed even if they were not the patient who prompted the 911 call.

According to Alberta Hospital and Surgical Health Services spokesperson Tom McMillan, "If a bystander becomes unwell and consents to an assessment by paramedics, that assessment is considered an emergency health service (EHS), regardless of the reason the ambulance was originally dispatched."

Alberta's current policy charges $250 for an assessment without hospital transport and $385 if the person is transported. The provincial government said the ambulance billing policy has remained unchanged since 2015.

Following public attention surrounding the case, Alberta Hospital and Surgical Health Services cancelled Sutanto's bill and announced it would review the province's ambulance billing policy to determine whether changes are warranted.

Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops pumping blood effectively, cutting off blood flow to the brain and other vital organs. Starting CPR immediately helps keep blood circulating until emergency medical teams arrive, while an automated external defibrillator (AED) can restore a normal heart rhythm when appropriate. Early action by bystanders can greatly improve a person's chances of survival.

Speaking to CTV News, Sutanto said, "It's a great outcome… CPR training can be life-saving, and it's an important skill."

He also credited the AED available at the school, saying its timely use was "crucially important."

Also see: Sudden Cardiac Arrest: Genetic Cause More Common in Younger People

Sutanto said receiving the unexpected bill made him think more deeply about how ambulance fees could influence people's decisions during emergencies. "The concern is that patients who really need to aren't going to ask for the appropriate service that they might need if they're worried about the cost," he told CBC News.

CBC News also cited a 2015 Marketplace survey, which found that 19 percent of Canadians had delayed calling an ambulance because of cost concerns, compared with 25 percent in Alberta.

Sutanto said his primary concern was not the charge itself, but the possibility that unexpected ambulance fees could discourage people from accepting necessary emergency care or seeking help when they need it.

As Alberta reviews its ambulance billing policy, Sutanto said, "We don't want to let that be a factor for getting appropriate care."

(Rh/TP/MSM)