Does Medicare cover non-emergency ambulance services?
Bill Dear Bill, Generally, Medicare only covers emergency ambulance services. However, Medicare may cover non-emergency ambulance services if any other means of transportation is inadvisable, and your father has a written statement from his doctor certifying in advance the medical necessity of the ambulance transportation. Medicare Part B covers ambulance services for emergencies when the transportation is from your home to the nearest hospital or skilled nursing facility (SNF) that can provide the necessary services, or from a hospital or SNF to your home, or from one facility to another, when any other type of transportation would endanger your health. Medicare Part B also covers paramedic intercept services in rural areas and regularly scheduled non-emergency transport when your doctor certifies the need for it. Medicare pays 80 percent for ambulance services and you or your supplemental insurance will have to pick up the 20 percent coinsurance. (Ambulance services must accept the M
