06/06/2026
The Cost of an ALS Ambulance Call vs. Reimbursement
Your local ambulance is dispatched for a patient having severe shortness of breath.
An EMT and Paramedic arrive to find a COPD patient sitting upright, struggling to breathe, with low oxygen levels, cyanosis, and audible wheezing. The crew immediately recognizes the seriousness of the situation and begins aggressive treatment.
Supplies and medications used may include:
Nebulizer and albuterol treatments: $5
IV supplies: $18
Solu-Medrol: $17
Magnesium: $6
BiPAP: $113
That is $159 in supplies and medications alone.
That does not include staffing, ambulance costs, fuel, insurance, equipment, training, maintenance, billing costs, or the cost of simply being available when someone calls 911.
Because of early EMS intervention, this patient improves significantly before arriving at the emergency department. That care may help prevent intubation, shorten hospital time, reduce complications, and lower the overall cost of care for the patient.
After the call, the ambulance crew returns to service, completes the patient care report, and submits the claim for billing.
Average reimbursement may look like this:
Medicare: around $520
Medicaid: around $147
Commercial insurance: varies
Private pay: $0–Varies
On average, your ambulance service will collect roughly 41% of what is billed.
This is not a scare tactic. These are the real challenges local EMS services face every day.
Help keep local EMS available when you, your family, or your neighbor needs it most.
Vote YES for EMS.
