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I took an ambulance to the emergency room after I had a fall at home and just received a bill from the ambulance company. Does Medicare cover ambulance rides?
Medicare covers emergency ambulance services and, in certain limited situations, nonemergency ambulance services. However, Medicare will only cover ambulance services when they are deemed medically necessary and reasonable. Here are some useful details to know about Medicare’s transportation coverage.
“Medically necessary” means that your medical condition must be serious enough that you need an ambulance to transport you safely to a hospital or other facility where you can receive care that Medicare covers. If a car or taxi could transport you without endangering your health, Medicare will not pay. For example, Medicare will likely not pay for an ambulance to take someone with an arm fracture to a hospital. But if the patient goes into shock, or is prone to internal bleeding, an ambulance transport may be medically necessary to ensure their safety on the way.
The ambulance must take you to the nearest appropriate medical facility. If you choose to be transported to a facility located farther away because the doctor you prefer has staff privileges there, expect to pay a greater share of the bill. Medicare will only cover the cost of ambulance transport to the nearest appropriate facility.
Medicare may also pay for an emergency flight by plane or helicopter to the nearest appropriate medical center if the trip takes too long on the ground and would potentially endanger your health.
Medicare may also cover ambulance transportation in some cases when you are not facing a medical emergency. To receive this coverage, your doctor must provide an order stating that an ambulance is medically necessary because other forms of transportation could endanger your health. For example, if you have been diagnosed with end-stage renal disease, Medicare may cover the ambulance trips to and from a dialysis center if you have a doctor’s order that certifies that this mode of transportation is required for your safety.
You also need to know that, in nonemergency situations, ambulance companies are required to give you an Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN) if they believe Medicare may not pay. An ABN notifies you that you will be responsible for paying if Medicare denies coverage.
Ambulance rides can vary from several hundred to several thousand dollars depending on where you live and how far you are transported. Medicare Part B pays 80% of the Medicare-approved ambulance rides after you have met your annual Part B deductible ($257 in 2025). You or your Medicare supplemental policy (if you have one), are responsible for the remaining 20%.
If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, it must cover the same services as original Medicare, but it may offer additional transportation services. You will need to check with your plan for details.
If an ambulance company bills you for services after Medicare denies payment, but you think the ride was medically necessary, you can appeal. To appeal, visit Medicare.gov, click on “Providers & Services” followed by “Claims, Appeals, & Complaints.” To help with your case, ask the doctor who treated you for documentation specifying that you required an ambulance.
If you need help filing an appeal, contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for assistance. Visit ShipHelp.org or call 877-839-2675 for contact information on your local SHIP provider.
Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. Any links in this article are offered as a service and there is no endorsement of any product. These articles are offered as a helpful and informative service to our friends and may not always reflect this organization’s official position on some topics. Jim invites you to send your senior questions to: Savvy Living, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.
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