Ticket to ride: Ambulance rides still aren’t protected from surprise billing and subscriptions do little to help – By Schuyler Mitchell (The Intercept) / Aug 8, 2022
WHEN THE EMS arrived at Bobbie Joseph’s home last December, an ambulance bill was the least of her worries. The 83-year-old was suffering from a flare-up of a painful chronic nerve condition called trigeminal neuralgia, which made it difficult to speak, swallow, or breathe. She had called her husband, who was out picking up a prescription, and managed to let out a muffled grunt of affirmation when he asked if he should call 911.
For the 17 years that the Josephs have lived in Wake County, North Carolina, they’ve been patrons of the local EMS subscription program. They pay an annual household fee of $60, and in exchange, Wake County EMS promises to waive any costs of 911 ambulance services not covered by insurance. When the Josephs needed to call an ambulance once before, their subscription covered them as planned.
Yet this time, a $236 insurance bill landed in the Josephs’s mailbox. Because an ambulance from neighboring Johnston County had been dispatched to their home, the ride was not covered under the Wake County plan. Johnston County EMS has its own subscription program, but the counties don’t offer reciprocal coverage.
“I wasn’t even aware at the time what ambulance it was,” said Bobbie. “I didn’t care at that moment, because the main thing I knew was that I needed attention immediately, and I was not able to move.”
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