MEDFORD (AP) — Just calling an ambulance to the scene of a highway accident in Southern Oregon may end up with an expensive bill for a driver or passengers even if nobody is taken to the hospital.

The three ambulance service providers in Jackson County have the right to charge for treatment even if they don’t transport anyone to the hospital, leading to some surprises for motorists.

Jim Matteucci of Medford learned about the billing policy after police called for an ambulance following a minor car accident.

His 20-year-old son, Tony, received a $267 bill for treatment after Matteucci said paramedics only took his blood pressure.

“The bottom line is we feel like a victim,” Matteucci said.

The $267 is the minimum fee for responding to a call, up from $250.

Ken Parsons, manager of Mercy Flights, Jackson County’s largest ambulance service provider, said it pushed for the reimbursement policy because nearly a third of its calls do not go to the hospital.

“About 30 percent of our responses end up in no transport,” Parsons said. “Our costs are incurred whether we transport or not.”

Under the policy, minor treatments like doing a physical assessment, measuring blood pressure and blood sugar or bandaging an open wound count for billing purposes.

Parsons says ambulance crews often must do an assessment to protect themselves against potential liability down the road.

“The moment we’re requested, we incur a liability to make sure there’s no injury,” he said. “We try to err on the side of caution.”

Parsons said the Jackson County Board of Commissioners approved Mercy Flights’ request to levy the “treatment-without-transport” charge in December 2005 partly to compensate for reduced compensation from Medicare, which pays for ambulance transport for people over 65.

Matteucci, however, said he feels wronged by the charge because he did not call for an ambulance. He called Medford police to document the accident, and apparently the police department dispatched the ambulance.

But the city’s emergency dispatch system requires an ambulance to be dispatched when a 9-1-1 call is made.

“Anytime a person dials 9-1-1 it starts a chain of events,” Medford Fire Chief Dave Bierwiler said. “Any time we’re officially notified of an emergency, we have to go.”