EMS Ambulance Billing
Understanding EMS Billing
Your ambulance bill is created when EMS responds to a medical emergency and provides ambulance transportation. Our EMS crew collects patient information, including insurance details, at the time service is rendered. If you or another household member is unable to provide that information, we will attempt to obtain it from the hospital.
This information is forwarded to our ambulance billing department, which verifies insurance eligibility, creates a bill, and submits an insurance claim. Your insurance company will process the claim according to your covered benefits, and a bill will be created for any patient responsibility or non-covered/non-contracted charges. If we are unable to obtain insurance information, we may issue you an ambulance bill for the entire amount.
What to expect when you receive an Ambulance Bill:
- You may need to pay a copay or meet your deductible amount.
- Your bill may include the cost of ambulance transport, medical supplies, and mileage.
- The amount of your bill will depend on the level and type of care provided (such as basic life support or advanced life support), the distance the ambulance traveled, the location of the emergency, whether the services were medically necessary, and the type of insurance you have.
- Ambulance services are typically not considered in-network with commercial health insurance companies.
- Funds collected from billing are used solely to support our Ambulance operations in accordance with (A.R.S.) § 48-805(F)
FAQs About Ambulance Billing
Golder Ranch Fire District (GRFD) is proud to serve the communities of Oro Valley, Catalina, and Saddlebrooke with state-of-the-art emergency medical services. Read these answers to frequently asked questions about Ambulance Billing:
What type of EMS ambulance transport service does Golder Ranch Fire District provide?
GRFD provides emergency Advanced Life Support (ALS) and Basic Life Support (BLS) transports. ALS transports usually require a higher level of medical care done by a Paramedic. BLS transports are usually provided by EMT level.
Will I get a bill if I am transported?
Who sets the rates for ambulance transports?
What is the average bill for a transport?
The average bill for an ambulance service is approximately $1,800. However, many insurance plans cover a significant portion of this cost. Most of this bill comes from the ambulance transport base rate. The remainder consists of mileage.
Why didn’t the paramedic/EMT tell me that I was going to be charged?
Do patients sign a document acknowledging financial responsibility for any unpaid balances?
Who do I call if I have a question about a bill received by GRFD?
Please call the Golder Ranch Fire District Billing Department office at (520) 825-5902.
Why does the Fire District charge for ambulance services?
In accordance with Arizona state law (A.R.S.) § 48-805(F) and (A.R.S.) § 36-2239(D), the Golder Ranch Fire District bills for ambulance transport services in order to recover the cost of providing this service without burdening the taxpayers.
Why don’t my property taxes cover this service?
Arizona state law (A.R.S.) § 48-805(F) does not permit property taxes to be used to pay for or otherwise subsidize ambulance transport costs. Property taxes cover fire or non-transport medical services, and GRFD does not charge any extra for these services.
What are my options if I do not want to be billed for the balance of ambulance services?
