More than 71% of ambulance providers do not take insurance policies into account. Many Americans prefer taking a taxi or an Uber to the hospital to avoid the high costs of an ambulance ride. So what do ambulances do? And how much does it cost?
What does an ambulance do?
An ambulance is a medically equipped vehicle that transports patients to medical faculties urgently. They also provide immediate medical care to sustain the patient until they reach a medical treatment establishment. Ambulances are made to respond to medical emergencies, which is why they have sirens and flashing lights. Experts who operate in ambulances are known as “paramedics”, who are experienced health professionals specialized in providing rapid medical assessment, assistance, and treatment.
Ambulance vehicles aren’t limited to vans alone they can come in many forms:
Ground ambulances: Four wheelers, busses, vans, and motorbikes.
Air ambulances: Airplanes, helicopters, and jets
Sea ambulances: Boats and jetskis.
Ambulances contain plenty of medical equipment for stabilizing or tending to cases such as stretchers, defibrillators, spine boards, oxygens tanks and masks, collars, bondages, patches, IV fluids, needles, pills, and much more…. Some licensed ambulances can also perform anesthesia or surgery for critically conditioned patients.
As mentioned before, ambulances are operated by paramedics who are experts at providing emergency health treatment. They are specifically trained to deal with heart attacks, overdoses, strokes, spinal injuries, broken bones, suicide attempts, and accidents. For paramedics to be certified, they need to partake in special courses that last for at least six months. They are also required to pass a state certification test.
Consider calling an ambulance if any of the following situations were to occur:
- Suffering from unexplainable chest pain and or a heart attack
- Car or motorbike accidents
- Sudden collapse or the loss of consciousness
- breathing difficulties
- experiencing heavy bleeding
- Claimed broken bones
- Sustained a bad fall
- Overdose
- Suicidal attempt
- Poisoned
When calling an ambulance, you will be questioned on the phone to verify if it is an emergency or not. It is required to provide your location and in some cases, they instruct you with first aid emergency until they arrive. Not all ambulance rides lead to hospital visits, paramedics will decide on whether the emergency requires a hospital visit or not.
Ambulance cost without insurance
It is a well-known fact that ambulance rides in the United States of America are expensive. This is due to the many factors included in your bill:
Distance: Most ambulances charge a certain rate for every mile traveled.
Professionals: A typical ambulance requires 3+ paramedics to operate. Some cases can require other experts such as cardiologists to be in the vehicle.
Type: The most common ambulance transportation is by ground, other forms such as air or sea ambulances can cost a fortune.
Equipment: All equipment used during the ambulance ride can be included in your bill.
Location: States have different rates and bills for ambulance services. This can change your bill drastically.
Uninsured patients can expect to pay hundreds if not thousands out of pocket. Thankfully, many ambulance services provide a %10 to %20 discount for uninsured clients.
Ambulance cost with insurance
Medically necessary ambulance rides are covered by most insurance companies. Clients will be required to pay $15 to $100 out-of-pocket as a copay. If you want to know which insurance plans cover ambulance rides, you can consult our experts at The Art Of Insurance free of charge.
Paramedics are modern heroes who do not wear a cape. They are always on the frontline providing care in times of need. Ambulance rides can be the deciding factor on whether a patient lives or dies. When uninsured, the ambulance cost can ruin you. Therefore, it is recommended to have an insurance plan that will cover these costs.
