Ambulance services
Medicare Coverage Information
Overview
Medicare provides coverage for ambulance services when they are medically necessary and meet specific criteria. Beneficiaries can receive emergency and some non-emergency ambulance transportation under certain medical conditions.
- Covers ambulance transportation when other transportation could endanger your health
- Must be medically necessary and documented by a physician
- Applies to both emergency and some non-emergency ambulance services
- Requires transportation to the nearest appropriate medical facility
- Covers ground ambulance services and, in limited cases, air ambulance
- Medicare Part B beneficiaries
- Patients with documented medical conditions preventing other transportation
- Individuals requiring immediate medical attention
- Part B covers 80% of approved ambulance service costs after meeting the Part B deductible
- Beneficiary is responsible for 20% coinsurance
- Additional out-of-pocket costs may apply for non-emergency transportation
- Only covers transportation when medically necessary
- Requires physician certification of medical need
- Limited to transportation to the nearest appropriate medical facility
- Non-emergency ambulance services have stricter documentation requirements
- Consult with your healthcare provider about ambulance transportation needs
- Verify medical necessity and documentation requirements
- Contact Medicare or your Medicare Advantage plan for specific coverage details
- Keep all medical documentation for potential reimbursement
Last updated: 6/15/2025
Quick Information
- Provider
- Medicare
- Last Updated
- 6/15/2025
- Topics
- Medicare ambulance servicesemergency medical transportationMedicare Part B ambulance coveragemedical transportation benefitsMedicare ambulance costs
Related Coverage Topics
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