If you are new to the area, or haven’t joined our Ambulance Club, please review the benefits of membership described below. In addition to covering any out-of-pocket costs for emergency ambulance service, your membership will also enable us to maintain the most state-of-the-art ambulances and medical equipment.

             Medicare regulations require us to send a bill for services for every emergency ambulance transport (including those for club members). We will recover as much of our costs for your ambulance service as possible from Medicare or your insurance company. All costs for our service not covered by Medicare or insurance will be covered by your Ambulance Club membership except as provided in the Ambulance Club Rules (see below).

BENEFITS OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP

               Membership for you and members of your household covers all insurance deductibles, co-payments, denial of insurance coverage, no insurance in effect or any other self-pay balance for emergency ambulance service during the membership period. As an Ambulance Club member, you and members of your household will not pay any amount for emergency ambulance service provided by the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company other than your annual dues. Non-members are responsible for, and will be billed for all uninsured ambulance service balances.

 AMBULANCE SERVICE FEE STRUCTURE

                The amounts that we bill for ambulance services are the amounts established by Medicare. All funds received for these billed ambulance services are used to support emergency services provided by the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company. One hundred percent of your membership fee is used to provide training, equipment, emergency vehicles, supplies and operating costs needed by our unpaid volunteers who give time from business, home and family to train and to render professional and caring ambulance service – often at night, in bad weather, and at personal risk.

AMBULANCE CLUB RULES

                Membership in the Ambulance Club relieves the subscriber and members of  the subscriber's household from paying any self-pay balances for emergency ambulance service provided by the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company, including:

Deductibles, co-payments, or non-covered charges remaining after payment by Medicare, insurance, or any other third party provider;

Deductibles, co-payments, or non-covered charges remaining after payment by Medicare, insurance, or any other 3^rd party payer;

Outstanding charges or balances resulting from denial of coverage by Medicare,  insurance or any other 3^rd party payer;

Outstanding charges or balances remaining because there is no coverage in effect by Medicare, insurance, or any other 3^rd party payer.

The exceptions to the above mentioned are calls alerted through the 911 system that do not require transport to a hospital. These calls will be billed as follows:

•     Lifting or moving assistance not requiring treatment or transport - $100.00

•     Basic Life Support treatment without transport - $175.00

•     Advanced Life Support treatment without transport - $300.00

              Ambulance crew members are certified by the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Service Systems and they must operate within established regulations and protocol. Determination of the hospital to which a patient is to be transported is based upon these regulations.

IN MOST CASES THE PATIENT WILL BE TRANSPORTED TO THE CLOSEST HOSPITAL.

             Ambulance service is NOT provided for non-emergency calls because of the need to keep the ambulances available for emergencies. Commercial ambulance companies should be contacted for non-emergency service.

           Club membership is available to individuals and families only. It is not available for commercial interest such as business and industries.

EMERGENCY AMBULANCE SERVICE WILL NOT BE DENIED TO ANYONE REQUIRING IT, REGARDLESS OF MEMBERSHIP OR ABILITY TO SUPPORT THE COST.

To join the Ambulance Club contact our business office at 410-638-4400 or by email at

businessoffice@bavfc.org.