Nova Scotia's health minister says a plan to chop ambulance fees for some Nova Scotians will cost an extra $2 million but it will help those who need it the most.

Starting July 1, people in licensed nursing homes and residential care facilities will pay $50 for a trip to the hospital, down from $134.52.

People with reduced mobility who need an ambulance to get their medical appointments will pay $100, rather than $168.14.

Health and Wellness Minister Maureen MacDonald said the move is designed to help the "most vulnerable citizens."

"People in those situations living at home requiring an ambulance certainly would be facing quite a large portion of their income to meet an ambulance bill," she told reporters on Monday.

She also promised to reduce fees for people with low incomes, starting on Sept. 1. Those details have yet to be worked out.

"It's unknown, really, how many people will take advantage of an appeals process because their incomes are really very low," MacDonald said.

She said the ambulance fee for other Nova Scotians will hold steady at $134.52.

MacDonald said her department has budgeted for the fee reductions, which are expected to cost about $2 million.

She said Emergency Health Services estimates that an emergency ride in an ambulance costs between $950 and $960.

Every province has some kind of fee to cover a portion of ambulance costs, she said.