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Emergency Medical Services Insurance Billing
Shenandoah County takes pride in our combination system. When you receive fire and or emergency medical services, you benefit from a combined volunteer and career system.
Our main objective and goal is to provide quality service in a timely manner. Patients always come first!
All funds collected through EMS Insurance Billing will be used to offset the rising costs associated with supporting our EMS service providers as they continue to provide the best possible service to Shenandoah County citizens and visitors. Shenandoah County Government does provide funding to the volunteer agencies that assists with a number of basic operating costs such as training, maintenance, fuel, vehicle, medical and workers compensation insurances and supplies.
What is Emergency Medical Services Insurance Billing?
Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Insurance Billing is a program to obtain reimbursement for the costs associated with transporting a patient to the hospital by ambulance. Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance policies already allow for reimbursement for this service.
As the need for emergency medical services continues to increase in Shenandoah County, our local government is seeking ways to fund these services without relying solely on property taxes. EMS Insurance Billing allows for localities to recover a portion of the cost associated with EMS service delivery. The majority of fees will be collected from insurance companies, Medicare, and Medicaid.
No Shenandoah County resident will receive a bill for EMS services or be denied service.
More than 80% of Virginia residents and 85% nationwide, live in communities that have a cost recovery plan in place. More than 40 localities in Virginia, including Harrisonburg, Rockingham County, Staunton, Waynesboro, Winchester, Warren and Page Counties, have implemented a cost recovery system. If you were to have an accident or need emergency transport to a hospital in those locations, your insurance will be billed and those funds collected support that county’s EMS system.
How does the program work?
The process is similar to what occurs when a patient receives medical services from a doctor or health care provider.
• The patient will receive the EMS service and emergency ambulance transportation to a hospital, if necessary.
• Patients receiving EMS transportation are asked to provide their insurance information at the hospital by hospital staff after being transported. Attending to the patients medical needs has been, and always will be, the first priority for all EMS emergency personnel.
• If the patient’s insurance information is not available at the hospital, then the patient may receive a letter from our billing company asking them for the information. This letter is for billing the insurance company only.
• Following the patient being transported, a claim is sent to the insurance provider. Most insurance companies pay 80% of the charge for services.
Shenandoah County residents will have the remaining amount due (co-pays and deductible fees) waived. NO Shenandoah County resident will receive a bill for EMS transport services.