Does Insurance Cover Ambulance?

If you need an ambulance, you may be shocked when you get the bill. Ambulances can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars, depending on whether you need air or road transportation and how far you need to be transported. In many cases, your insurance might pick up the bill.

Ambulance Services

• Ambulances can assist you when you need to be safely transported from one location to another. For example, if you are in an accident and are unable to walk, an ambulance can take you from the accident location to the hospital. In some cases, you may need air ambulance transportation such as by helicopter or air ambulance. Ambulance personnel are typically trained paramedics, registered nurses, respiratory therapists and other health care professionals.

Medicare

• Medicare covers medically necessary and reasonable transportation by ambulance to the nearest appropriate medical facility. The medical condition must be of sudden onset and must be severe enough to place your health in jeopardy if you aren't transported to a medical facility immediately. In addition, Medicare will only pay for transportation by ambulance if transportation by any other means would be hazardous to a patient's health. Medicare will pay for non-emergency ambulance transportation only if a patient is unable to get out of bed without help, unable to walk and sit in a chair or wheelchair.

Private Insurance

• Many private insurance policies cover medically necessary ambulance services. Review your insurance policy to find out what coverage your policy offers for ambulance services. In many cases, you may have to make a co-payment or meet a deductible before your insurance company will pay for services. You may also need to get prior authorization for your insurance company for coverage, although in most emergency situations, pre-authorization isn't required for transportation by ambulance to the nearest medical facility.

No Insurance Coverage

• If you don't have insurance coverage, you can still be transported to a medical facility by ambulance in emergency situations. An ambulance will not refuse to take you to a medical facility if you are in an accident or if you have a major medical health issue. However, you will receive a bill for the ambulance services and you will be financially responsible for paying the bill. In some cases, you may be able to ask the ambulance provider for charity care or a reduced fee if you cannot afford to pay the bill.