If you teach CPR and first aid under the AHA curriculum, you couldn’t miss the news—the price of cards and e-cards recently made a 772% jump—from about $2.20 to $17. This drastic price increase is likely to raise costs for instructors and training centers by thousands of dollars—and force them to raise the price of classes for students.
The price change went into effect on October 3, 2017. It was announced suddenly—possibly to discourage organizations from buying up the cards in bulk at the cheaper rate before the new prices go into effect. Whatever the reason, however, the short notice gave schools, nonprofits, and instructors little time to prepare—and made the transition particularly problematic.
Independent CPR instructors, as well as nonprofits, schools, and training organizations, often purchase cards and workbooks in bulk from organizations such as the AHA based on the number of students they anticipate having. They then set the price of their classes to offset the cost of materials.
For many, inventory had already been purchased and budgets and contracts were already set when the price increase was announced, with no room to accommodate such an extreme increase in the cost of materials on such short notice. This means that independent instructors and organizations that usually support themselves by providing classes may now only break even under their current contracts—or pay thousands of dollars more than their income for classes.