We recognize ambulance billing can be confusing and challenging for the patients we care for. Please scroll down to review some helpful information and frequently asked questions about ambulance bills.
Ambulance Bill Help
To pay an ambulance bill or submit your insurance information, please contact our billing provider:
Online: EMS|MC
Phone: (800) 814-5339
View our Notice of Privacy Practices
Take our Patient Satisfaction Survey
Helpful Information & Frequently Asked Questions
Why am I being billed for ambulance services?
Most ambulance services in the United States are funded through a “fee-for-service” model. That means when an ambulance responds, the medical care and transportation provided are billed afterward, just like a doctor’s visit or hospital stay.
While local governments do provide some support, most of the funding for our ambulances comes directly from billing for the emergency medical services we provide. This ensures that we can keep trained staff, life-saving equipment, and vehicles ready to respond at any time.
Why is my ambulance bill so expensive?
Ambulances are very costly to operate because they are essentially mobile emergency rooms. Each ambulance costs more than $400,000 to purchase and equip, and every response includes at least two highly trained EMS clinicians who assess your condition, provide treatment, and keep you safe on the way to the hospital.
Even if you only traveled a short distance, you still received the care, equipment, and expertise that go into every response. These ongoing expenses, often called our “cost of readiness,” are what make up the largest part of the bill.
Another factor is that most of our patients are covered by Medicare or Medicaid. These programs pay us set flat rates that are always below the actual cost of providing care. To keep our ambulances staffed and ready to respond to the community, we must bill patients and their insurance directly for the difference.
I received an ambulance bill but I am a current subscriber to Good Fellowship
It is possible that you received a bill for services even though you are a current subscriber. We apologize for any inconvenience. Please let us know and we will correct this immediately. You can reach us at (610) 431-8781 or info@goodfellowship.org.
What is EMS|MC?
EMS Management Consultants (EMS|MC) is Good Fellowship’s third-party billing vendor. Though EMS|MC is based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, they have direct ties to Good Fellowship and are authorized to process billings and payments on our behalf.
You may see a LEWISVILLE, NC address on your Good Fellowship invoice. This is correct and the mailing address for EMS|MC to process Good Fellowship claims.
I can't afford my ambulance bill
Good Fellowship does consider hardship requests from patients unable to afford out of pocket costs for ambulance services. If you feel you may qualify, please contact our billing vendor (EMS|MC) and request information on a hardship request.
Call EMS|MC at 1 (800) 814-5339
You will need information off of your Good Fellowship invoice for the request
Where can I review Good Fellowship’s Notice of Privacy Practices?
Our Notice of Privacy Practices can be found by clicking on “PATIENT PORTAL” then “Notice of Privacy Practices” on this website.
Direct Link: http://www.goodfellowship.com/notice-of-privacy-practices/
Why is Good Fellowship Out-of-Network?
Almost all ambulance services in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that provide emergency (911) medical services are considered out of network with private insurance plans. Good Fellowship Ambulance complies with all applicable state and federal billing regulations. Emergency 911 ambulance services are not required to contract with insurance networks, which means reimbursement is determined by your insurance plan’s out-of-network policies.
WHAT’S NEXT?
You may receive an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from your insurance company. This document outlines the total ambulance charges, the amount covered by your insurance, and any balance that may remain as the patient’s responsibility. Because Good Fellowship is out of network, the patient responsibility listed on your EOB may differ from the amount on your Good Fellowship invoice. This difference results from how insurance companies calculate payment for out-of-network emergency services. It is important to remember that, in an emergency, patients have no control over which ambulance service responds to their 911 call. Good Fellowship is dispatched based on emergency availability and location.
WHAT CAN I DO?
If your insurance payment appears lower than expected, you can contact your insurance company to explain that this was an emergency 911 transport and that you were unable to choose your ambulance provider. Many insurance companies will review and may adjust payment once they confirm that the service was medically necessary and provided during an emergency.
WHAT SHOULD I SAY TO MY INSURANCE COMPANY?
When speaking with your insurance representative, you may wish to explain that Good Fellowship Ambulance is not in network with your insurance plan. Let them know the transport was a medically necessary emergency 911 call and that you did not have the option to select a provider. You can also request that the claim be reprocessed as an emergency under the plan’s emergency care provisions. In many cases, insurance companies are able to reprocess emergency ambulance claims and issue an additional payment toward the balance.
Why was the payment from insurance sent directly to me?
Because Good Fellowship is Out-of-Network, your insurance may send payment directly to you, at your primary address.
WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Once payment is received from your insurance, either by check made payable to you or by electronic disbursement, you should immediately make payment to Good Fellowship for the amount of the insurance payment.
How to make a payment to Good Fellowship:
Online:
EMS|MC Patient Portal - https://emsmc.com/patient-portal/
You will need information off of your Good Fellowship invoice to complete online payments
By Phone:
Call EMS|MC at 1 (800) 814-5339
You will need information off of your Good Fellowship invoice to complete payments by phone.
Mail Check or Money Order:
Make check or money order payable to: Good Fellowship Ambulance
Include your Run Number and/or patient name (Found on Good Fellowship invoice)
Mail to:
Good Fellowship Ambulance
PO Box 429
Lewisville, NC 27023-0429
Drop off Check or Money Order: (Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. only)
Make checks payable to: Good Fellowship Ambulance
Include your Run Number and/or patient name (Found on Good Fellowship invoice)
Drop off at:
Good Fellowship Ambulance
600 Montgomery Avenue
West Chester, PA 19380
Prevent Future Out-of-Pocket Ambulance Bills
Lifesaving emergency medical transport can put a stress on your family’s finances, but with a subscription to Good Fellowship Ambulance, subscribers have NO out-of-pocket expenses if treated and/or transported by us – so you can focus on recovery, not finances.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Residents can purchase a subscription that is good for (1) one year. Good Fellowship will bill your insurance and accept whatever they pay as payment in full. Any out-of-pocket expenses are written off.
Click on "DONATIONS & PAYMENTS" on this website and scroll down to "Purchase an Ambulance Subscription." If you live within Good Fellowship's coverage area, mailers are sent out in late October of each year.
Beware of Deceptive Insurance Practices
A deceptive insurance practice is one that misleads, or is likely to mislead, a consumer. If an insurer is distributing false information about a policy to their clients, it’s performing a deceptive insurance practice. Unfair and deceptive insurance practices usually benefit the insurance company while harming the customer.
It’s important to understand the benefits of your insurance plan. Insurance companies, especially those who provide plans within Pennsylvania, are well aware that most ambulance companies that provide emergency services are out-of-network.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Suspect deceptive insurance practices? Contact the Pennsylvania Insurance Department:
Phones are staffed during normal business hours (8:00 am – 4:30 pm) Monday through Friday at 717-787-2317. The Department also has a toll-free automated consumer hotline, 1-877-881-6388. Callers can leave a message, and your call will be returned in less than two business days.
Phone: 717-787-2317
Toll-free: 1-877-881-6388
Email: ra-in-consumer@state.pa.us
