Does Medicare Cover Ambulance Services?

Does Medicare Cover Ambulances medicare FAQs

Does Medicare Cover Ambulance Services?

Yes, Medicare covers ambulance services in approved emergency situations. As with all Medicare covered costs, you will pay 20% of the cost of service, unless you have additional coverage.

Let’s break down in more detail – what is covered and how it gets paid for.

Does Medicare Pay for Ambulance Services?

Medicare Part B covers ambulance services. (Part B is medical insurance. To learn more about what Part A and Part B offers, visit this page.)

What does the government describe as covered ambulance services? Well, they include:

  • Emergency ground transportation to a hospital (including critical access and skilled nursing facilities)
  • Emergency air transportation (via helicopter or airplane) when ground transportation is not available or is not adequate

Does Medicare Cover Non-Emergency Transportation?

No, Medicare does not typically cover non-emergency transportation. For example, you will not be able to get an ambulance to a doctors appointment.

However, there are certain Medicare / Medicaid programs that do offer non-emergency transportation to people who need it. Also, according to CMS (Center for Medicare Services), there are a few instances where Medicare may provide non-emergency ambulance services:

“In some cases, Medicare may pay for limited, medically necessary, nonemergency ambulance transportation if you have a written order from your doctor stating that ambulance transportation is medically necessary. For example, you may need a medically necessary ambulance transport to a dialysis facility if you have End-Stage Renal Disease.”

https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/ambulance-services

What are My Costs with Medicare Ambulance Coverage?

First, it is good to remember that the reason for your ambulance ride must be considered a “Medicare approved” service. Otherwise, your ride might not be covered at all. Also, CMS states that the ambulance can only take you to the nearest medical facility considered appropriate for your needs. (You can read more about it here.)

Next, if you only have Original Medicare Part B, then you will pay the 20% of the ambulance bill that Medicare does not pay. (If you only have Medicare Part A, then ambulance services are not covered. You will need to enroll in Part B to have them covered.)

However, most people have a supplement or a Part C (Medicare Advantage) Plan in addition to Medicare Part A and Part B. Original Medicare works together with your private insurance options to pay for ambulance services. Let’s look at both options and how they cover ambulance rides.

Medigap Ambulance Coverage

Remember that with Original Medicare Part B, the government pays for 80% of the cost of a Medicare covered ambulance ride. You are responsible for the rest, unless you have a Medigap plan. Also known as Medicare Supplement plans, these plans help you pay for the co-insurances, deductibles, and co-pays that Original Medicare does not pay for.

Coverage By Specific Medicare Supplement Letter Plan

Ambulance Medicare coverage

In exchange for a monthly premium, Medigap plans will help you pay for some or all of your personal costs of Medicare approved services. The Part B Co-insurances or co-payments are

  • Paid in full by Medigap Plans A, B, C, D, F, G and M.
  • Plan K pays for 50%;
  • L pays for 75%,
  • And N pays for all minus a co-pay.

You can read more about the supplement coverage chart in our article: What are Medicare Supplements here.

Medigap Plan Letter Policy Chart - what supplements cover what services
CLICK HERE to see more about the various Medigap plans and what they offer.

Medicare Advantage Ambulance Coverage

What is Medicare Advantage?

Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans are private insurance options that “replace” Original Medicare as your only Medicare coverage. They offer everything that Original Medicare offers, and also offer extra benefits are services on top of what is covered in Part A and Part B.

Medicare Advantage plans cover at least what Part B covers for ambulance rides. In addition, they also may cover the 20% that Part B doesn’t cover, but they way they do that is specific to each individual private insurance company.

For example, some Medicare Advantage plans will have a set co-pay for ambulance use, or they may have a percentage they cover. They may also distinguish between air and ground emergency transportation in how they cover costs.

It is important to know that every Medicare Advantage plan has a set max out-of-pocket cost that you can never go above each year. So, for example, if your MA plan had you pay 10% of the cost for air transportation, then you would be responsible for that cost only up to the max out-of-pocket limit set for your plan.

Remember, each Medicare Advantage plan is different, and if you are a MA plan beneficiary, you will need to look at your plan information or “Summary of Benefits” to see how your costs will be covered.

If you want to compare Medicare Advantage vs Medigap plans, you can read more here.

Other FAQ’s

Here are a few other frequently asked questions:

  • Does Medicare cover air ambulances?
    Yes, as long as it is a “Medicare approved” service, then it is covered. If you need an emergency air transportation and it is considered a necessary, approved situation, then Medicare will pay for it. Remember, you will be responsible for a 20% co-insurance payment unless you have additional coverage (like with a Medigap or Medicare Advantage plan).
  • Does Medicare cover life flight?
    Life Flight or LifeFlight is just a branded name of a company that provides emergency air transportation services. If you use their services for a Medicare approved expense, then it will be covered accordingly.

Conclusions

Yes, Medicare will cover ambulance service for approved and necessary emergency transportation needs. You will still have co-insurance unless you also have a Medicare Supplement Plan or a Medicare Advantage Plan. Do you need help finding coverage in addition to what you receive through Original Medicare (Part A and Part B)? Then please reach out to us.

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