Someone need to stop this daytime robbery. There is no charge for Medi-Cal users. Taxpaying citizens are charged thousands. I was in a motorcycle wreck and had rib fractures and skin off my leg down to the bone , but never lost consciousness and told them I wanted to go to the hospital that was 20 miles down the road as I had doctors there I knew.
I honestly feel violated by this charge and attempt to steal my hard earned money. I drove myself to the hospital and had no input on being transferred or the method of transportation. But what they didn't bother to find out is that she was going to have to wait 8 hours at the hospital in Temple before she could be operated on.
I do think that is a little much! The helicopter pad is less than. The company gave us 3 different answers on why it was so expensive. My husband was alert and he stated they just put him on a cot and transferred him, he was stable. Ambulance service typically is covered by health insurance when medically necessary. For example, BlueCross BlueShield of Alabama[ 1 ] offers coverage for medically necessary ambulance transport, to the nearest facility that can treat the patient, on many policies.
Some ambulance service providers will "balance bill" -- bill the patient for the remainder of the bill above what the insurance company pays, if they don't have a contract with that insurance company; some states have outlawed this practice. For patients without health insurance, ambulance service cost typically depends on location, whether the trip is for an emergency or scheduled transport, how many miles the patient travels and whether basic life support or advanced life support is needed.
For example, in Lima, OH, taxes pay for any ambulance services not covered by insurance, so residents do not receive a bill.
In an emergency, the ambulance provider that services the location typically will respond immediately to a call. The dispatcher will determine if only emergency medical technicians are needed, for basic life support, or if paramedics are needed, for advanced life support. The ambulance crew will assess the patient's medical condition and check vital signs such as pulse, blood pressure and respiratory rate, and will determine if transport to a nearby hospital emergency room is needed.
If so, the crew will provide needed care during the ambulance ride. Basic life support care, typically for non-life-threatening emergencies, includes minor treatment, continued monitoring, and possibly administration of oxygen. Advanced life support care, for life-threatening emergencies, also can include CPR, administration of medication, breathing tube insertion and other needed treatments. Additional costs:. Medical supplies -- for example, sterile gloves, needles, IV supplies, catheters, and saline -- used during the trip can add hundreds or even thousands of dollars to the final bill.
If a critical care nurse or respiratory therapist is required during an ambulance ride, it can add hundreds of dollars to the cost. Shopping for an ambulance:. The American College of Emergency Physicians Foundation[ 5 ] offers a guide to when to call an ambulance in an emergency. In a emergency, the ambulance provider that services that location will respond; in some locations, there is more than one provider and it might be possible to request a certain provider.
For a scheduled transport, a hospital or physician should be able to provide a referral for an ambulance service. Or, the American Ambulance Association[ 6 ] offers a provider directory by state and city. Material on this page is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Always consult your physician or pharmacist regarding medications or medical procedures.
Comments CostHelper News. Even if your insurance considers an ambulance service in-network, you still might be stuck with a hefty bill. In those cases, the provider can still balance-bill a patient, depending on where they live. Some states have laws that protect consumers from balance-billing, while others have tried and failed to enact such protections, Jack Hoadley, the health policy analyst at Georgetown University, tells Consumerist.
In less-dire situations where the need for an ambulance might be debatable, a phone call might help you avoid or minimize a surprise ambulance bill. Jolley reminds consumers that they have the right to appeal how much of a claim was paid by insurance. CU also has an online insurance complaint tool that points consumers where they need to go to file an insurance-related complaint in each state.
Last updated: February 22, Sharing is Nice Yes, send me a copy of this email. Send We respect your privacy. Thanks for sharing. Part of what shocked Santoro is the fact that he received what he considered very little care: An EMT took his vitals and gave him oxygen, he said. Patients are charged for one of two types of care: basic life support or advanced life support. As with many aspects of health care costs, base charges vary by provider, insurance coverage and location.
They compared prices throughout the region, determined the final rates, and then negotiated with insurance carriers what they would pay. For these reasons, it can be really difficult to know how much a health care service will end up costing you, unless you price it out with the provider and your insurer in advance. In that case, Gross said you should be prepared to negotiate. For example, ambulance services are only reimbursed for the actual rides or transports to the emergency room ER.
However, ambulance personnel are paid an hourly rate that is independent of the number of rides they provide. We have to have people sitting there because there is an expectation that an ambulance will be by your side within a few minutes. So, if an ambulance takes someone who is under cardiac arrest to the hospital, there is no separate charge for the stretcher, for the compressor or for the cardiac monitor.
Many state and local government regulations set unrealistic response time requirements for EMS services to meet. Nationally, those requirements average at 8 minutes and 59 seconds. Although it seems like a good idea in theory, the requirements can have negative consequences, argues Moore. According to Moore, under current contractual obligations to state and local governments, EMS must be at your door within 10 minutes.
Moore considers this a huge issue that needs to change. Even if changes to protocols do occur, public expectations will continue to expect that a call is followed by an ambulance at your door within minutes. Moore believes we need to better educate the public on why ambulances are so expensive in order to alter those expectations.
The portrayal of emergency services in the media and on television reinforces this expectation even further, he says. While Mr. Moore and the American Ambulance Association continues to advocate for changes in legislation to help reform the EMS system in the United States and to lower the price of ambulance rides, there are things you can do as a consumer.
For one, you may be able to avoid to taking an ambulance to the ER in non-emergencies by using a taxi or ridesharing service to go to an urgent care center that, depending on the situation, may be able to provide you with the care you need.
However, it is always best to err on the side of caution. If you are unsure of the nature of the emergency, your safest bet is to dial and hop in an ambulance. You should also look into what your insurance policy covers for ambulance rides and which companies they contract with.
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