Frequently Asked Questions

BLS stands for Basic Life Support. A BLS ambulance is staffed by two Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and equipped to monitor the patient’s condition and provide basic life support measures such as oxygen and spinal immobilization.

ALS stands for Advanced Life Support. An ALS ambulance is staffed by an EMT and a Paramedic and equipped to provide advanced medical intervention when necessary to support life, including IV medications, cardiac monitoring, and advanced airway management.

There may be several reasons. If no portion of the claim has been paid, we may not have your correct insurance information — call the number on the invoice to provide it. If a partial balance is due, you likely owe a deductible or co-pay, or a portion of the transport is not covered by your plan. If you have secondary insurance, our billing service can file with them as well. Call (413) 528-3632 for assistance.

Call us at (413) 528-3632 with your invoice handy. We will work with you to resolve any questions, and may direct you to our billing service for additional details.

Federal HIPAA laws require us to protect your Protected Health Information (PHI), which includes information about your ambulance transport and invoice. We can only share this information with you or someone you have authorized in writing. This is designed to protect your privacy.

Different insurance companies define “emergency” differently. Medicare defines an Emergency Response and recognizes the primary expense as the cost of being ready and available to respond. We apply the appropriate definition based on the type of claim. Contact our office at (413) 528-3632 for a detailed explanation as it applies to your transport.

Medicare covers ambulance service only under specific conditions: the destination must be a covered facility, the transport must be medically necessary (the patient could not be transported any other way), and the reason for transport must meet Medicare criteria. Coverage is determined on a case-by-case basis. Call (413) 528-3632 for specific questions.

For all emergencies — or anything you think may be an emergency — dial 9-1-1. For non-emergency transport requests, call (413) 528-3632.

In most cases, we only charge for transporting a patient. The service is billed to each individual patient regardless of who initiated the call.

If service is provided but the patient is not transported to a medical facility, no charges are billed.

When you call 9-1-1, give the street address or location as precisely as possible. The dispatcher will also ask for details about the patient’s condition and the nature of the emergency. Stay calm and answer each question — the dispatcher can send help while you are still on the phone.