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2008 Subscriptions Have Been Mailed.
If you need information on a subscription membership please call us at 610-927-9272, extension 10, and we will mail one to you. WE DO NOT SOLICIT FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS BY PHONE, only through our annual mailing. Western Berks Ambulance is proud to offer the Services that we do to the community. We provide these services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Subscribing with Western includes:
- Everyone who permanently resides within your household.
- Emergency Ambulance Service (Both Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support).
- Medically necessary routine ambulance transports. (Transports to Doctor's office excluded).
- Medically necessary long distance transports.
- Medically necessary Advanced Life Support Inter-Facility Transports.
- You will not be charged for lift assists. (Currently $65 per lift assist).*
- You will not be charged if we respond, perform an assessment and you decide against being; transported to the hospital. (Currently $60 per BLS response/evaluation and $100 per ALS response/evaluation).*
- *Subscribers are not charged for the first three (3) lift assists/assessments. After three (3) lift assist/assessments subscribers will be billed for the services.
Your subscription with Western Berks Ambulance will not cover:
- Wheelchair Van Services.
- Ambulance transports to Doctor's offices.
- Ambulance transports primarily for convenience (i.e.: More comfortable than a wheelchair, or transfers to another facility for personal preferences.
- Instances where you are treated on scene and refuse transport to the hospital.
- If your insurance company requires pre-authorization/certification, it is the patient's responsibility to obtain it. Failure to do so will make the patient financially responsible.
- Greater than three (3) lift assists/assessments.
IMPORTANT: Members and non-members
We spoke earlier of the response fee for an evaluation. That represents responding and providing an evaluation that includes taking vital signs to make sure they appear to be within normal limits. However, if our evaluation exceeds that by having to provide other procedures, there will be additional charges for that service. Examples of additional charges will include, but not limited to:
Applying cardiac monitor. Initiating a medical command patch. Administering oral glucose. Initiating an intravenous line. Checking blood sugar levels. Additional charges after the first 15 minutes we are on locations with the patient.
As a member, you will receive three free Responses and/or Lift Assists per household. This includes only the initial response fee, not any additional charges. All non-members will be responsible for the entire amount each time.
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Medical Necessity: In order for your ambulance bill to be covered by insurance, and to be covered under our subscription program, ambulance service must be both reasonable, as well as medically necessary. The following excerpt from the Medicare manual will illustrate how we determine medical necessity for an ambulance versus a wheelchair transport.
Ambulance vs. Wheelchair Van Transports. According to Medicare, "Medicare coverage for ambulance services are very specific. Ambulance transportation is covered only if it is medically necessary and the patient's condition contra-indicates transportation by any other means. Where some means of transportation other than ambulance could be used without endangering the patient's health, whether or not such other transportation is actually available, no payment may be made for ambulance service. Ambulance transportation is not meant to be used as a convenience." "If the patient is generally mobile (e.g., the patient could walk unassisted to the vehicle, or could walk to the vehicle with assistance, including the use of a cane, crutches, walker or wheelchair); if the patient shows no signs or symptoms of distress, and there are no other complicating circumstances, it is reasonable to conclude that transportation by ambulance is not medically necessary."****Information taken from Medicare Manual - Coverage & Limitations #2120.2A
According to Medicare, "Medicare coverage for ambulance services are very specific. Ambulance transportation is covered only if it is medically necessary and the patient's condition contra-indicates transportation by any other means. Where some means of transportation other than ambulance could be used without endangering the patient's health, whether or not such other transportation is actually available, no payment may be made for ambulance service. Ambulance transportation is not meant to be used as a convenience." "If the patient is generally mobile (e.g., the patient could walk unassisted to the vehicle, or could walk to the vehicle with assistance, including the use of a cane, crutches, walker or wheelchair); if the patient shows no signs or symptoms of distress, and there are no other complicating circumstances, it is reasonable to conclude that transportation by ambulance is not medically necessary."** |
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