Does Car Insurance Cover Ambulance Rides?

If you suffer a major injury, it’s critical to receive prompt medical care. In some cases, this may involve an ambulance ride. Depending on the coverages in your policy, your car insurance may cover the cost of the ambulance ride.

Ambulance rides are considered medical expenses under certain types of car insurance coverage. Here’s how different types of coverage apply.

Depending on your insurance policy, different coverages can pay for an ambulance ride. Some of these coverages are mandatory in certain states while others are optional add-ons. If you want medical coverage for ambulance rides regardless of who is at fault, consider medical payments coverage or personal injury protection.

Here are the main types of coverage that may pay for ambulance services:

• Medical Payments Coverage (MedPay): An optional coverage in most states. It covers medical payments, including ambulance fee and emergency medical technician fees regardless of who caused the accident.
• Personal injury protection (PIP): In no-fault states, personal injury protection (PIP) covers medical expenses, including ambulance rides, regardless of who is at fault in the accident. States like Delaware, Florida, Michigan and Hawaii require drivers to have PIP coverage.
• Bodily injury liability: If another driver is at fault in an accident, their bodily injury liability may cover your emergency transport, hospital expenses and other medical fees.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage (UI/UIM): If you’re in an accident caused by a driver who doesn’t have insurance (or doesn’t have enough insurance) or a hit-and-run, your uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage can help pay for ambulance services and other medical expenses.

If your car insurance doesn’t cover the ambulance ride, you may be able to use your health insurance instead. As with auto insurance, health insurance usually pays the ambulance company when transport to a hospital is medically necessary. However, you may need to reach your annual deductible to qualify for ambulance coverage.

You’ll most likely need to cover your copay if you meet your deductible and possibly higher out-of-pocket costs if the ambulance company is out of network. Some health insurance plans also charge coinsurance, meaning they pay a portion, such as 70 percent, of the bill and you are responsible for the remaining balance, such as 30 percent.²

In general, it’s better to opt for car insurance to cover your ambulance ride in an accident because it typically doesn’t require a copay or deductible. If you have MedPay coverage, your car insurance can reimburse any health insurance deductibles or copays related to the ambulance ride, depending on the terms of your policies.³ Check with your provider to review the terms of your coverage.

The table below describes the main differences between car and health insurance when it comes to ambulance rides.

The cost of an ambulance ride varies widely. According to a 2022 report from the United States PIRG Education Fund, the average out-of-pocket cost for an ambulance ride is $450 if you have health insurance. That can surpass $1,000 in certain states like Minnesota ($1,133) and California ($1,209).⁴

The final cost of an ambulance ride also depends on these factors:

• Location: Rates can vary by region.
• Mileage: Longer distances can increase the cost.
• Level of care: Basic life support (BLS) may cost around $975 while advanced life support (ALS) services can cost more (around $1,300).
• Provider type: Whether the ambulance company is for profit or nonprofit can also impact the price.