Does Medicare pay for ambulance rides?

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Does Medicare pay for ambulance rides?

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You can call medicare and ask them. I am pretty sure they would know.

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Yes, they always paid for my late mother's ambulance trips, but it's best to check your primary Medicare and your supplemental Medicare Plan Letter - if you in fact have Medicare Supp. Hitting one's head is deemed a medical emergency = ergo, the EMS.

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I have a Medicare Advantage plan (Aetna) and the ambulance co-pay is $400. When paramedics came to the house with no transport, it was $300.

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I think you're safest bet is to call Medicare and ask. I have found in most cases with my clients the determining factor is if the service was "medically necessary". If it is medically necessary Medicare usually pays if not, they don't. From what others have posted it sounds like it can vary from state to state.

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

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No my husband was transported twice and we paid the ambulance

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Not True!!!!!
Medicare covers ambulance trips when the trips are medically necessary.

People reading these posts be careful because there are some misleading information here.

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Make sure the ambulance carrier is coding the ride as emergency, otherwise you'll be paying the bill. My mother was transported from the rehab center to the ER when the rehab doctor told us blood work done at the rehab center was showing she had a blood clot. For whatever reason, the rehab center did not indicate to the ambulance carrier that this was an emergency, so it was coded "non-emergency" (unbeknownst to us) and we had to pay the cost even after several appeals.

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Nope

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Be sure to find out before you need an ambulance. Homeless here take an ambulance to ER to get cleaned up and a night's sleep....who pays for that?
Where do they bill the homeless people. ??
Medicare and my insurance if it's medically necessary....meaning you can't ride in a car.. ...if you are admitted to hospital...you don't pay....if you are sent home you pay $300.

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you know the answer..the taxpayer does. And if those who are willing to remove all 'laws of entry' to this country then the taxpayers will continue to pay for illegal aliens too (until the rule of law is removed then they are entering illegally, and are an alien to this nation, it's not 'slander' it is a fact. ) Oddly the people I see complain the most to permit globalism & open borders and medicare for all -cradle to grave- scream when they don't get medical care as fast or as often or as cheaply as they 'deserve'. I think they do not understand either the way ANY nation functions, or are ignorant of the Constitution. or both.

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Only if it’s a matter of life and death.

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Nope !! They charged my Aunt$ 600.00 to be driven4 miles No joke!!

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Next time make sure it is medically necessary.

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My mom had many falls over a period of three years. She also had seizures, mini strokes, and UTIs. Each and every time we went to the hospital, Medicare approved the ambulance ride. Only one time were we denied and the bill was about $1,000. I tried to appeal it but I lost. Apparently, I had waited too long.

About 18 months later my mom had lab work, ordered by her doctor. WE got charged over $1,000. This time I had a long conversation with Medicare. This individual was very helpful and told me that usually when patients are denied coverage by Medicare it's because someone coded the bill/invoice incorrectly. He told me that it was my mom's doctor's office who coded the lab invoice incorrectly. He told me to take it back to them and to ask them to redo it, that I had talked to Medicare who had advised that it was miscoded, and to resubmit it Medicare.

So, I then told the Medicare representative what had happened 18 months earlier with the ambulance bill. Again, he said that someone at the ambulance/paramedics office got lazy (his word) and coded it wrong. He said next time call them tell them we were denied and ask them to correct and resubmit the bill to Medicare. I hope this helps.

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BlueEcho is correct - it's all about the billing. Check each medicare statement of what was paid and what was not. Call to find out why and start correction process, when needed, as quickly as possible.

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Medicare pays a portion of the bill. Also, every time my mother has fell, I call 911 and tell them it’s not an emergency, but that my mother has fallen and I can’t get her up. The EMT’s always come and checks her out and we are never charged.

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Most civic EMS will not charge for helping the invalid.

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Check with your municipality. Where I live Columbus Ohio does not charge a fee for an emergency trip to the hospital.

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I have been billed for three separate ambulance rides, life or death, when I had issues, so it depends on your Medicare provider.

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Medicare claims are paid by the Government; unless you have a Medicare Advantage Plan. The Government (CMS) follows the same guideline for everyone; that is medical necessity. Maybe your Ambulance service did not report your situation correctly.

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Does Medicare pay for ambulance rides?

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