I hear you that you didn't have to pay something crazy but the fact that you ultimately paid $500 for a short ride and you think it was "successful experience" is how they fool us. You think you got a deal when they are still laughing all the way to the bank for charging you $500 for a short ride.
I don't know, I don't run an ambulance company- what should the cost be (either to me, my insurance company, or to the government)? Can't be cheap to fully staff an ambulance with EMTs.