A Montreal woman who survived a vicious polar bear attack last November is reeling after receiving a bill for her rescue totalling more than $13,000.

Erin Greene remembers the night of the attack vividly. She was walking with friends on Nov. 1, 2013 in Churchill, Man., when a friend saw a bear approaching them. Greene was doing seasonal work in a bakery in Churchill at the time.

"Sure enough, I looked over my shoulder and this 400-pound bear was running toward me," she told CTV's Canada AM.

"Within seconds that bear was on my head, I had zero reaction time," she said, adding that she had no chance to run or escape.

"It attached itself to my head and started ripping my scalp off and flailing its arms around and shaking me around."

Greene's shocked friends ran to get help, leaving her with the bear. "I was screaming, obviously as loud as I could," she said.

Thankfully a Churchill resident heard her screams and ran from his house to help her.

The man emerged from his home and "instinctively" grabbed a nearby shovel and whacked the bear in the face, Greene said.

"That's what made the bear stop biting me and I ran into his house.”

Eventually Greene was taken to a hospital in Churchill, but due to the extent of her injuries it was decided that she would be airlifted to a larger hospital in Winnipeg.

In Winnipeg, Greene received care for her injuries, including 28 stitches in her scalp and multiple blood transfusions. She was also treated for injuries to her ear, part of which was torn off during the attack.

Her medical care was covered under the Quebec health insurance plan, but she received a bill for $13,159 for the cost of the air ambulance and ground ambulance services.

Greene said she was stunned to learn that, given the circumstances, she would be charged for the ambulance transportation.

"I just assumed that if I was in a hospital that couldn't treat me, and I had to be shipped somewhere else, that that would be taken care of by the hospital," she said. "I mean, I'm a Canadian citizen in my own country, I didn't think that that amount of money I would be accountable for."

She said Canadians travelling within the country should be aware that they could be on the hook for the cost of ambulance services as soon as they cross provincial borders.

According to the Canada Health Act, the provinces and territories are not required to cover the costs of ambulance transportation.

In a statement, Manitoba Health said patients are indeed responsible for footing those bills.

"Costs for transportation by ambulance are not insured by provinces, including Manitoba. These costs are the responsibility of the patient, whether a resident of Manitoba or elsewhere," the statement said.

According to the statement, while there are certain circumstances in which Manitoba Health may provide transportation subsidies for patients in the north who need to travel to another hospital for care, these subsidies are for Manitoba residents.

"With respect to transportation by ambulance, including air ambulance, there is no interprovincial agreement with Quebec that would provide coverage for a non-resident of Manitoba."

To help Greene pay the bill, her friends have launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for her. As of Wednesday morning, more than $4,200 had been raised.

Greene -- who has now returned home to Montreal – said she's just thankful to be alive.

"I'm extremely grateful to still be here," she said, giving thanks to the residents of Churchill, the man who saved her life and the medical staff who cared for her.

"Even though there was a bill that comes with that, I'm just happy to be here."