Monday, April 30, 2007

How to Find the Right Ambulance Service

Some ambulance companies are businesses just like McDonalds and Target stores others are tax based (municipal) or volunteer. With that being said this blog entry will teach you how to find the right commercial ambulance service for your medical transport needs.

First there is a difference between emergency transport and non-emergency transport. Emergency transport is simply defined the usage of an ambulance in cases where life or limb is being threatened. Non emergency transport is simply where life or limb isn’t threatened. Regardless if you have a toothache, a hemorrhoid, or a sore throat these ailments are classified as non-emergency, some ambulance companies won’t even bother billing your insurance they will just bill you directly.

Secondly if you need to go to a scheduled doctor’s appointment or you need to transport a loved one from one facility to another, you should call at least two weeks in advance. In this two week period you can either get approval or disapproval for your appointment. If you get declined ask for the cash price. And if there is more than one ambulance service in your area (or within 30 miles) you should call all of them. The lowest bidder wins.

Lastly, remember you get what you pay for. Some smaller companies offer the best price but the worse service and some larger companies will treat you like a number. It is best you do your homework. Calling local doctor’s offices, dialysis centers or ever emergency rooms to find out what service they recommend isn’t illegal. Having worked on an ambulance for 20 years I have heard my fair share of, “That other company sucked” or my favorite, “I should have called you guys first.” So look around and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments section. I will respond.


~Vale~

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