Does Medicare cover ambulance services?

Dear Marci,

I had an emergency a few weeks ago and needed an ambulance to take me to the hospital. Does Medicare cover ambulance services?

-- Siegfried (Palo Alto, CA)

Dear Siegfried,

Yes, Medicare covers emergency ambulance services, as long as the ambulance service is medically necessary. Keep in mind that Medicare considers the event to be an emergency when your health appears to be in serious danger and every second counts to prevent your health from getting worse. If you need to be taken to the hospital due to a medical emergency, Medicare will cover your ambulance ride to the nearest appropriate hospital, as well as any medical services you receive while you are in the ambulance.

If you need to be taken to a hospital or facility for non-emergency medical services, Medicare will cover your ambulance ride, only on rare occasions. Medicare may cover non-emergency ambulance services if:

• You are unable to get up from your bed without help, unable to walk, and unable to sit in a chair or wheelchair; or
• You need medical services that are only available in an ambulance and all other forms of transport could harm your health.

For example, Medicare may cover non-emergency ambulance rides to and from a dialysis facility for someone who has kidney failure and needs medical services that can only be provided during the ambulance ride. Also, in order for Medicare to cover non-emergency ambulance rides, a doctor must confirm that the ambulance service is medically necessary.

Know that lack of access to other forms of transportation alone does not mean Medicare will cover your ambulance services. Also, Medicare never pays for ambulette services, which are non-emergency transportation services for people with disabilities. 

Click here for more information from Medicare Interactive on Medicare coverage of ambulance services.  If you have Original Medicare, the traditional Medicare program administered by the federal government, you can call 800-MEDICARE for more information on Medicare coverage of ambulance services. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, also known as a private health plan, you should contact your plan directly to see how ambulance services are covered under the plan.

-Marci

It’s important that you take care of your body when lifting heavy objects. HealthDay News offers the following tips for proper lifting:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and stand as close as possible to the object you’re lifting. 
• Bend your knees and never bend at the waist. It’s important that you lift objects using your legs, and not your back.
• Contract your abdominal muscles when lifting, so that you support your back.
• Hold the object close to your body as you lift.
• Refrain from twisting or bending your body when you lift heavy objects.

Remember to always ask others for help if you need to lift large and heavy objects. Click here for more information on safe lifting tips from FamilyDoctor.org.

If you would like to learn more about your Medicare options, call the Medicare Rights Center's free national helpline at 800-333-4114.

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