Emergency ambulance
Medicare Part B covers a ground ambulance ride when traveling in any other vehicle could endanger your health and you need care at a hospital, critical access hospital, rural emergency hospital or skilled nursing facility. Medicare pays for the trip to the nearest appropriate facility that can give you the care you need.
Medicare may pay for an emergency airplane or helicopter ambulance when you need fast transport a ground ambulance can't provide, for example because of distance or road conditions.
Non-emergency ambulance
Medicare may cover a scheduled, non-emergency ambulance ride if your doctor or other provider gives a written order saying it is medically necessary, such as rides to dialysis for some people with end-stage renal disease. Two things to know:
- If the company thinks Medicare may not pay, it must give you an Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN) first.
- For repeated rides (3 or more round trips in 10 days, or weekly for 3 weeks or more), the company may ask Medicare for prior authorization before your fourth round trip in 30 days.
What you pay
After the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026), you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount. Ambulance suppliers must accept Medicare's approved amount as payment in full for covered rides, so they can't bill you above your deductible and coinsurance. A Medigap policy pays part or all of that coinsurance. Medicare Advantage plans must cover emergency ambulance too, with their own cost sharing.
The Oregon angle
In much of eastern, central and southern Oregon, the "nearest appropriate facility" for a stroke, heart attack or major injury can be far away, and the closest hospital may be a small critical access hospital. Medicare pays for transport to a facility that can treat your condition, including a transfer from a small hospital to a larger one when that's medically necessary. See Medicare in rural Oregon.
If you have both Medicare and the Oregon Health Plan, OHA says OHP covers things Medicare doesn't, such as rides to appointments. See OHP and Medicare.
Related questions
Does Medicare cover rides to appointments in Oregon?
Routine trips and OHP rides.
Does Medicare cover me outside Oregon?
Emergencies away from home.
Does Medicare cover skilled nursing in Oregon?
Care after a hospital stay.
Sources
- Medicare.gov — Ambulance services
- 42 CFR 414.610 — Basis of payment (mandatory assignment for ambulance services)
- Oregon Health Authority — OHP and Medicare
More questions in this guide
- Does Medicare cover acupuncture in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover annual physicals in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover assisted living in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover bone density tests in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover cataract surgery in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover chiropractic care in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover a colonoscopy in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover CPAP machines in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover dental care in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover diabetic supplies in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover flu shots in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover hearing aids in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover home health care in Oregon?
- Does Medicare pay for in-home caregivers in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover mammograms in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover me when I travel or spend winters outside Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover medical marijuana in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover memory care in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover mental health care in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover naturopathic doctors in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover nursing home care in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover oxygen therapy in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover physical therapy in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover prostate cancer screening in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover psilocybin therapy in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover skilled nursing care in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover the shingles vaccine in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover transportation to medical appointments in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover vision care in Oregon?
- Does Medicare cover wheelchairs in Oregon?
Part of the guide: Learn Medicare — the Oregon starter guide · All questions
Frequently asked questions
Can an ambulance company bill me more than my share?
Not for a ride Medicare covers. Federal rules (42 CFR 414.610) require ambulance suppliers to accept Medicare's approved amount as payment in full, so they can collect only your deductible and coinsurance.
Will Medicare pay to take me to a hospital farther away?
Medicare pays to the nearest appropriate facility that can give you the care you need. If you ask to go somewhere farther, you may owe the difference.
Does Medicare pay for rides to regular doctor visits?
No. Original Medicare doesn't cover routine transportation. If you also have the Oregon Health Plan, OHP covers rides to appointments.
What is an ABN for an ambulance ride?
For a non-emergency ride, the ambulance company must give you an Advance Beneficiary Notice if it thinks Medicare may not pay. If you sign it and Medicare denies the claim, you may have to pay.
Medicare in your Oregon county
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