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Ohio Family Billed Thousands for 39-Mile Ambulance Trip
25 Nov
Summary
- An Ohio family was billed $9,250 for a 39-mile ambulance transport.
- The ambulance bill exceeded the cost of a three-day hospital stay.
- The family, uninsured, negotiated the bill down to $5,600.
Elisabeth Yoder's son, Darragh, required an ambulance transfer from Urbana, Ohio, to Dayton Children's hospital for staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome. The ambulance company charged $9,250 for the 39-mile trip, which included a $6,600 base rate for 'specialty care transport' and mileage fees. This cost far surpassed the nearly $3,000 charge for Darragh's three-day hospital stay.
The Yoder family, lacking health insurance and not qualifying for Medicaid, faced the full brunt of the bill. They belong to a healthcare sharing ministry but found no negotiated rates or consumer protections for ground ambulance services. The family eventually negotiated a payment of $5,600, which they are paying off with a credit card.
Experts suggest patients should inquire about insurance networks and costs before ambulance transport. While the Yoders wished they had bypassed the local ER to go directly to the children's hospital, they felt compelled to use the ambulance due to the inserted IV. This case underscores the significant financial burden uninsured individuals can face for essential medical transportation.
