biggest ripoffs going. Had to summon an ambulance for a family member, and his share of the cost for the 10 minute ride to the hospital was $800.00, this after a couple of hundred was paid by his practically worthless silver ACA plan. He then needed to be transferred to another facility 30 minutes away and that bill came in at $2800. He pled for mercy as he was going through some rough times and simply couldn't pay that much. They finally agreed he could pay both bills off in installments over a year. I picked up the slack out of my crappy income , and eventually both were paid. Best advice regarding private company ambulance rides: If you aren't unconscious or bleeding profusely, find someone to drive you to the hospital -- call a friend, a neighbor, an uber -- any port in a storm to avoid a horrendous, unconscienable bill. What happened to Mr. Iverson is criminal.

to the ambulance service run by the city, and being jailed is something governments do to you
if you don't pay fees, fines, taxes etc. owed them.

This is not uncommon.

In New York City for example, if you call 911 and an ambulance takes you to the hospital you get a several
hundred dollar bill for the ambulance ride.
http://www1.nyc.gov/nyc-resources/faq/302/how-do-i-pay-my-ambulance-bill

where you could buy 'new' body parts but if you missed a payment.....

and the "private " ambulance companies ?
Reagan in is infinite dumbth and greed allowed medicine and law to become preditary capitalist ventures .Unfortunately so many people in America don't remember how civilized the country was before the anti government turd maggots took over .