Fla. county private ambulance rates rise between 67% and 110%

The private rates remain below those for the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department

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By Leila Merrill
EMS1 Staff

MIAMI — Private ambulance rates in Miami-Dade County rose between 67% and 110% after county commissioners approved the changes on Oct. 18, according to Miami Today News.

The emergency basic life support base rate is set to increase from $358.67 to $600 (a 67.3% increase), and the advanced life support base rates will increase from $380 to $800 (110.53%) and $862.53.

Specialty care and wait time rates also are going up.

The private ambulance rates are below those for the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department. Theirs range from $800 for BLS transport to $900 for ALS or for specialty care transport.

“The proposed rate increases will have little impact on individual consumers because ambulance transports are typically paid by Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance,” wrote county Chief Operating Officer Jimmy Morales in a memorandum. “Uninsured patients account for less than 5% of the total patients being transported annually.”

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