NEMT Services vs. Ambulance Service: What’s the Difference?
It’s common for patients to confuse non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) services with ambulance services, but they’re much different. Below, we’ll explain NEMT services, ambulance services, and their differences, from the services they provide to the vehicles they use.
What Is an Ambulance Service?
While we’re all familiar with what an ambulance is and what services it provides, we’ll still explain how they work compared with NEMT services. When you have an emergency, you need Emergency Medical Services (EMS), which you can contact by dialing 911 and requesting an ambulance.
As part of EMS, ambulances and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) will respond and arrive at your destination as fast as possible to administer emergency first aid and medical treatment before transporting the individual to the nearest hospital or trauma center. Like the police and firefighters, ambulances are a public service for the community.
When To Use Ambulance Services
Ambulances are strictly reserved for helping individuals in emergencies. Ambulances will only respond to an individual in a medical, life-threatening emergency like a cardiac arrest, stroke, or any major physical injury.
Requesting an ambulance in a non-emergency situation is not allowed, and those who do it could even face criminal charges for misuse. Ambulances have to react fast to save lives, and if someone misuses an ambulance, they’re misappropriating public resources and could be threatening other people’s lives.
What Is a NEMT Service?
Ambulances are for emergency medical transportation, leaving a wide range of non-emergency medical transportation needs, which is where NEMT services come in. NEMT is what it sounds like: medical transportation for patients and individuals who require medically focused transportation in non-emergency situations.
Someone who needs NEMT may not be suffering from a heart attack but could have a heart condition and need safe transport to a cardiologist appointment. NEMT services use medically equipped vans rather than ambulances that are closer to normal vehicles than emergency ambulances.
When To Use NEMT Services
There are many scenarios where an individual may require NEMT services. One of the most common uses for NEMT services is long-distance medical travel. If a patient needs to go to a medical facility or see a specialist in another state and cannot drive themselves, they can’t arrange for an ambulance to take them there.
NEMT services are for many patients who have to travel long distances but aren’t healthy or capable of transporting themselves, flying, or having a friend or relative drive them. NEMT services are also common for patients that require constant medical observation and care from a professional during travel. But NEMT services can also be used for leisure travel—like someone who can’t drive but wants to visit friends or family out of state.
How NEMT & Ambulance Services Are Different
NEMT and ambulance services differ in a few key ways. Here are the main distinctions between the two.
Public Service vs. Private Company
The prime distinction between an EMS and NEMT service is that one is a public service organized by the local government and agencies for the community, and the other is a paid-for service from a private company. Ambulances are organized and structured around the public municipality services, so practically no matter where you live, you can dial 911 and have an ambulance headed in your direction.
While ambulances aren’t free, they’re typically covered by an insurance provider if the trip is deemed medically necessary. If it’s not medically necessary, you probably wouldn’t call an ambulance in the first place. While some insurance providers cover NEMT services, including some Medicaid and Medicare plans, it’s not guaranteed, and some individuals may have to pay out-of-pocket costs.
Book Appointments
Perhaps the most basic difference when comparing ambulance and NEMT services is that anyone can book a NEMT ride whenever they’d like. While everyone can call an emergency ambulance when needed, they can’t simply book an appointment for when they’d like an ambulance to pick them up and take them to the hospital the next day, week, or month.
But with NEMT services, patients can book the time and date of their trip as they’d like so that they can plan around scheduled medical treatment and doctor’s visits. And because booking is so easy, it gives passengers more freedom and independence when making travel plans.
Long-Distance Travel
Another significant difference between ambulances and NEMT services is the option for long-distance travel. Ambulances are restricted by their duty to their local communities, so they don’t have the freedom to take passengers out of the town or state they serve.
One of the primary uses for NEMT services is long-distance travel for passengers requiring medical attention and care. Whether a passenger is traveling across town to a doctor’s appointment or across multiple states to see a specialist, NEMT services will ensure they arrive at their destination safely.
Focus on Comfort
The main focus of ambulances is to stabilize patients and get them to the nearest hospital as fast as possible, where more specialized medical staff can treat the patient with the necessary equipment. There’s not much consideration given to the passengers’ comfort as they speed toward the hospital.
NEMT services, on the other hand, travel long distances with patients, so they focus more on the comfort of the patient and any friends or relatives traveling with them. NEMT vans are specially equipped with necessary medical equipment but also focus on ensuring the patient can travel comfortably for long distances.
Leisure Travel Opportunities
While we’ve mentioned that many NEMT passengers utilize the service for medical reasons, like doctor appointments, NEMT services can also be for leisure travel. NEMT helps those incapable of traveling safely reach their destination, whether the journey is for medical reasons or for leisure travel.
It’s an excellent option for those who would like to visit friends and family but aren’t physically capable of driving or can’t safely fly without medical supervision.
Why Choose United MedTrans for NEMT Services
If you think you could benefit from NEMT services, consider United MedTrans! United MedTrans offers non-emergency medical transportation in San Francisco, all over California, and in every state in the continental US. Whether you need to travel from California to Nevada or Montana to Florida, we’ll get you there safely and have no maximum distance for our travel services.
Our luxury transport vans come fully equipped with high-quality medical equipment, and every journey comes with a trained medical professional on board. Contact our staff if you have questions, or book your trip online today!
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