During an immediate medical emergency, like being injured in a serious car accident, you may need an ambulance to transport you to the hospital for treatment. EMTs might provide critical care in the ambulance, and you'll be able to quickly arrive at a medical facility. The ride is expensive, but there are various types of insurance that can help cover the bill.

We'll walk you through which coverages reimburse you for an ambulance ride, as well as:

Which types of insurance cover ambulance rides?

Both car and health insurance help pay for ambulance rides if they are medically necessary. This usually means you need medical attention right away, like after a car accident or when you call 911 from home. Or you might need medical supervision while going from your doctor’s office to the hospital. Even then, your insurance probably won’t cover the full cost of your ambulance ride.

Does car insurance cover ambulance rides?

Yes, auto insurance covers ambulance rides. For your auto insurance company to pay for an ambulance ride, though, you need either personal injury protection or medical payments coverage.

A benefit of using your car insurance coverage for an ambulance ride is that you won't have to pay a copay or deductible. Additionally, if you're using your auto and health insurance policies to cover your ambulance ride, you may be able to use your car insurance plan to reimburse your medical copay and deductible.

If another driver caused the accident that’s sending you to the hospital, here's what you can do:

  • If the other driver caused the accident and has car insurance, file against their bodily injury liability coverage.
  • If the other driver caused the accident and doesn’t have car insurance, or doesn’t have enough insurance, file against your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage — if you have it. Use your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage in hit-and-run situations, too.
  • If you live in a no-fault state, use your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage or medical payments — also called MedPay or med pay. You might have medical payments and car insurance coverage even if you don’t live in a no-fault state.

Does health insurance cover ambulance rides?

Health insurance usually helps pay for ambulance rides if they’re medically necessary.

You often pay some out-of-pocket costs for them, though. This is usually in the form of a deductible or copay. However, that isn’t always the case for car insurance coverage of medical expenses.

Given that, you’ll typically want to use your car insurance to pay for an ambulance ride, if possible. Only turn to your health insurance after you’ve exhausted your auto coverage.

Some health insurance providers offer supplemental coverage that can help you pay for ambulance rides. Look for ambulance coverage or even accident coverage when shopping for this type of optional plan — especially if you have a chronic health condition that may require lots of ambulance rides.

Does Medicare cover ambulance rides?

Yes, Medicare covers medically necessary ambulance rides to the closest hospital. However, you will need to pay the deductible and 20% of the costs. To benefit from this coverage, though, you need Medicare Part B.

Medicare Part B won’t just cover ambulance rides to a hospital. It’ll also cover ambulance rides to critical access hospitals and skilled nursing facilities.

According to Medicare.gov, Medicare Part B also covers non-emergency ambulance rides in some situations. But your doctor needs to write an order stating they’re medically necessary.

Does Medicaid cover ambulance rides?

Medicaid covers ambulance rides, too, according to the Department of Health & Human Services.

Specifically, Medicaid covers emergency ambulance services by state-licensed providers.

Like Medicare, Medicaid also covers non-emergency ambulance services if your doctor notes that the service is required.

When does insurance not cover an ambulance ride?

Insurance usually won’t cover ambulance rides in these situations:

  • Your car is inoperable
  • You don’t have a car at all

In other words, if you’re injured in an accident, don’t expect your car insurance coverage to pay for an ambulance ride to the hospital simply because the crash left your vehicle undrivable.

For a car insurance policy to cover an ambulance ride, your injury needs to be a serious one that requires immediate medical attention.

If you have a minor injury and you call an ambulance to take you to the hospital because your vehicle won’t drive or you don’t have a vehicle, your insurance probably won’t pay any of the bills.

Medicaid is one exception to all the above. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, you can get a ride through Medicaid if you don't have a functioning car, or if you don't have a driver's license. You're also eligible for a ride if you have a physical or mental disability, or if you can't travel or wait for a ride by yourself.

The cost of an ambulance ride

Without insurance

An ambulance ride can cost anywhere from $200 to $2,000 or more if you don’t have insurance or if your insurance won’t cover the trip.

What you pay for an ambulance ride without insurance depends on a few factors, including:

  • Where you live
  • The ambulance company
  • The services you receive while in the ambulance
  • How far the ambulance drives you

Note: some cities provide free ambulance rides to residents. Other cities operate subscription programs that keep ambulance fees and charges to a minimum.

An ambulance ride can cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars if you don’t have insurance or if your insurance won’t cover the trip.

What you pay for an ambulance ride without insurance depends on a few factors, including:

  • Where you live. Ambulances may be more expensive in certain cities and counties than others.
  • How far the ambulance drives you. Typically, the farther the ambulance drives to a hospital, the more you will have to pay in costs.
  • Types of transport to the hospital. Being lifted by air ambulance is, on average, significantly more expensive than being transported by a regular ambulance vehicle.
  • The services you receive while in the ambulance. Ambulance staff may provide you with medical treatment, administer drugs or medication, or treat injuries on the trip. You will be charged for the treatment you received and the drugs you were given.

If bills are an issue, you should know that some cities provide free ambulance rides to residents. Other cities operate subscription programs that keep ambulance fees and charges to a minimum.

With insurance

What you pay for an ambulance ride with insurance depends on several factors, including whether you're covered by auto insurance, health insurance or both.

If you get health insurance from an employer or from the marketplace set up by the Affordable Care Act, you’ll probably have to deal with out-of-pocket costs after you call an ambulance.

Some health plans charge a copayment of $10 to $100 or more for ambulance rides. Other plans charge a copay with a flat fee or coinsurance of 10% to 50%. You may need to pay toward your health insurance plan’s deductible before this kind of coverage kicks in, too.

If you get health insurance coverage from Medicare, you’ll pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for your ambulance ride. You’ll also have to pay toward your Part B deductible.

Most state Medicaid programs don’t charge copays for ambulance rides. In fact, only these 12 states charge copays in this situation, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation:

  • Alabama
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Kansas
  • Maine
  • Mississippi
  • North Carolina
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming

Which insurance companies cover ambulance rides?

Almost all health and car insurance companies cover ambulance rides tied to an emergency or a medical necessity.

Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Kaiser Permanente and TRICARE are a few examples of insurers that specify on their websites that they cover ambulance rides in these and other situations.

Some insurers sell supplemental coverage that helps you pay the amount your auto or health plan doesn’t cover. UnitedHealthcare offers supplemental accident coverage for its employer-sponsored health plans, for instance.

References:

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