Medicare will cover emergency and non-emergency ambulance services if:
– The services are medically necessary, meaning that an ambulance is the only safe way to transport you and the reason for your trip is to receive a service or to return from a service that you need and Medicare will cover;
– You are transported to and from certain locations; and
– The supplier of the ambulance services meets Medicare’s ambulance requirements.
An emergency is when your health is in serious danger and every second counts to prevent your health from getting worse.
If the trip is scheduled as a way to transport you from one location to another when your health is not in immediate danger, it is not considered an emergency. If it is not an emergency, Medicare coverage of ambulance services is very limited.
Medicare may cover non-emergency ambulance services if:
– You are confined to your bed (unable to get up from bed without help, unable to walk, and unable to sit in a chair or wheelchair); or
– You need vital medical services during your trip that are only available in an ambulance, such as administration of medications or monitoring of vital functions.
Read more about Medicare coverage of ambulance transportation and new requirements for certain non-emergency ambulance rides in New Jersey, Pennsylvania or South Carolina, on Medicare Interactive.