Stop Ambulance Surprise Bills

05/30/2026

This is a start. Apparently it only covers when an EMT, paramedic or fire fighter orders it. If the patient is in a stand alone ER and the ER physician orders transfer for higher level of care the ambulance can balance bill.
On another note, Tennessee Senate just shot down a bill to help prevent ambulance balance billing.

02/25/2026

Recent article by Tai Dinger published by the Petri-Flom Center of Harvard Law School.

https://petrieflom.law.harvard.edu/2025/10/16/ground-ambulances-the-last-gap-in-the-no-surprises-act/

02/25/2026

You are not protected against ground ambulance bills in many states. Laws in process are stalled while ambulance companies charge many thousands of dollars to unsuspecting patients. And private ambulance service charges can be hundred of times higher than county ambulance services. As a forced captive consumer you have no choice. It is time to speak out.

In the absence of federal action, states will remain responsible for implementing consumer protections from surprise billing for ground ambulances.

02/24/2026

How is this ok?
Private insurance Gold Plan does not cover medically necessary ALS transfer ordered by a physician to go 2 miles from stand alone ER to parent hospital for observation. In fact the insurance does not contract with any ambulance service in the area at all. EKG and vitals in route only (No IV, no resuscitation). The private Ambulance service charges $3618.25. The county ambulance service would have been 270% less. The patient has no choice in the matter and is not entitled to know the approximate cost. The patient was stable and could have waited for the less expensive option. And had the patient known any of this and how much financial hardship it would cost then given the options the patient could have chosen leaving AMA. But we are all forced captive consumers with no rights when it comes to ground ambulance services.

01/11/2026

Have you suffered significant financial hardship due to balance billing by a ground ambulance provider?
It is time to expose excessive ground ambulance charges, amplify patient stories and push for fair, transparent pricing so no one is financially harmed for needing medically necessary transport.

01/11/2026

Did you know that ground ambulances can often times bill you whatever they want and patients have no recourse? The main thing left out of the federal No Surprises Act, which deters most surprise medical billing, was ground ambulance transport, leaving patients vulnerable to large unexpected bills for emergency ambulance rides.

I was given the advertised “seamless transfer” to move 2 miles to a hospital in the same system because they could not offer me the 24 hour observation I needed in the facility to which I drove myself for emergency care. Having my son drive me the 2 miles was against medical advice even though I had no oxygen, no IV and only vital monitoring with EKG. I get the doctor’s position of course, but I wonder if he knew what that ride would cost. So I was taken by an ambulance by doctors orders. My insurance said I owed $266.45 for the ride (which I paid) and then the private ambulance company billed me $3618.28 without even giving me an itemized bill. They just texted a link to the payment portal (yes, verified and not a scam) And on checking this is 270% higher than what the county ambulance service charges which even at about $1400 seems like lot for a 2 mile ride.

The issue is that they can bill whatever they want and there is no recourse. There is no standard. There is no maximum. There is no requirement to even give an estimate on the cost.

Yes, ambulance service is necessary, and I am grateful to those who work in the field. But there is data on average costs for BLS, ACLS and active resuscitation rides but companies are not held to these costs and are allowed to bill as much as they want.

In my situation I would have left AMA and gotten a private ride the 2 miles if I was educated that it would cost $3600 which I could not afford.

And insurance companies contribute to the issue by not covering ground ambulance even in medically necessary situations when the doctor orders the ambulance.

I know there are cases when there is no choice or time etc. But does it make it right to bill whatever they want, not have your insurance count and leave patients financially distressed or should we advocate for fairness, transparency and accountability?