Emergency Medical Transportation

Emergency medical transportation is ambulance service (by ground or air) used to get you to a hospital when you're experiencing a medical emergency. This includes 911 ambulance calls, helicopter (air ambulance) transport, and other emergency vehicle services.

All ACA-compliant plans must cover emergency services, which includes emergency medical transportation. Under the ACA and the No Surprises Act, your plan must cover emergency ambulance services even if the ambulance provider is out-of-network, and you're protected from surprise balance billing for ground ambulance services in many cases.

However, "covered" doesn't mean "free." You'll still owe your plan's cost-sharing, typically a copay or coinsurance after your deductible. Ambulance rides are expensive: a ground ambulance can cost $1,000–$2,500 or more, and air ambulance transport often exceeds $30,000. Your share depends on your plan's metal tier and how much of your deductible you've met.

Air ambulance is a more complex area. The No Surprises Act protects you from balance billing by out-of-network air ambulance providers; your plan pays the provider directly, and you only owe your in-network cost-sharing amount. This was a major consumer protection because air ambulance companies were responsible for some of the largest surprise bills in health care.

If you receive a bill for emergency transportation that seems unreasonably high, review your Explanation of Benefits carefully. If you believe you were improperly billed, you can file a complaint with your state insurance department.