Frequently Asked Questions

Charging for emergency services became effective for Orange County in October 1996. Your tax dollars are used to support the cost of providing ambulance service around the clock. The fees are used to offset the cost for providing emergency medical services to county citizens and to citizens that are not county residents. In addition to tax dollars, Emergency Services also seek federal funding to support operation cost. Ambulance fees assures compliance with applicable federal requirements and cost principles associated the those resources.

Yes. Orange County Emergency Medical Services bills Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance.

If the information is not collected during your initial contact with EMS personnel, you will receive a statement of charges from Orange County EMS along with a patient insurance form (PDF). You are encouraged to complete this form so we will have all the pertinent information needed to file your claim correctly. Please include the following information: The policy number, subscriber identification number, group number, insured name and complete mailing address of the insurance company. 

Please mail, fax or email the completed form to our office promptly as this information is time sensitive. Please mail your completed form to the address found on top of the document. If you prefer, you may fax your form to 919-644-3091 or email the Tax Office an electronic copy. If insurance information is not provided within 6 months of the date of service, we may not be able to file your insurance due to timely filing limitations.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) bills are mailed to the address given at the time of transport. Unless your bill is returned mail, we have no indication that you did not receive it. If your bill is returned, it is noted in our billing system, researched for a better address and re-mailed. We make every attempt to send bills and notifications to our patients. If you fail to receive your bill at the address you provided during the transport, you are still responsible for the charges.

Yes. Our office will file claims to your insurance company. We must have a signed medical release form from you on file. We may file up to the deadline imposed by the insurance companies. Medicare will accept claims up to 12 months from the date of service; Medicaid has a deadline of 12 months from the date of service. Private insurance companies require that the claim be filed within 6 months of the date of service. VA claims must be submitted within 30 days of the date of service.

Some insurance companies send checks directly to the policy holder. We will bile claims as a courtesy for the patient. It is the responsibility of the patient to make sure the bill is paid in full.

Orange County Emergency Services is not connected with the hospital or its database. Therefore, we are unable to obtain that data from the hospital. You are our only source for your insurance information, and you must provide us with it in order for us to file your claim.

The patient is responsible for providing the Workman's Compensation company's name, address and claim number in order for us to file the claim with them.

Once your bill is active in our system, you will have 30 days to make a payment.

Yes. You can make monthly payments. However, you must be consistent with your payments. If you are unable to make a payment, you must call us in advance.

If you disagree with charges on your bill, please contact billing at 919-245-2100 option 3. To dispute services, please contact the EMS Administration Office at 919-245-6124 to file a formal complaint.

There are different levels of service. Total charges are established according to the level or service and/or the mileage provided during the transport.

Charges are as followed:

• $150 Treatment Non-Transport
• $225 Treatment Non-Transport Level 2
• $755.49 Basic Life Support
• $897.16 Advanced Life Support
• $1,298.50 Advanced Life Support Level 2
• $16.00 per mile

These rates are subject to change.

Make payments out to:

Ambulance Service EMS
Orange County Revenue
P.O. Box 8181
Hillsborough, NC 27278

Make checks payable to Orange County Revenue - Ambulance Service EMS

Yes. Please call 844-435-3981 and use your run number as the tax bill number. 

If you have issues with processing your credit card payment, please call the customer service number 888-891-6064 option 1 for assistance.

No. We do not process automated drafts, but you may setup automated payments with your bank through Bill Pay. Please contact your bank for assistance.

We do not report to the Credit Bureaus, but we may take legal action by garnishing wages if bills are unpaid.

Orange County EMS is a government agency and a Medicare provider. Federal law prohibits this.

If you are experiencing financial hardship, and you are a current Orange County Resident, we have a program called EMS Assistance that is offered through the Orange County Department of Social Services (DSS). If your balance is your true balance after all insurance has been processed and resources considered, DSS will make a determination based on income to see if you qualify. If approved, your bill will be covered through this program. If you are interested, please download the Consent of Release Form (PDF) and either mail, fax or email to our office. Our mailing address is located at the top of the document. You can fax your completed form to 919-644-3091 or email the Tax Administration. Once we receive your form, you account will be placed on hold until DSS accepts or denies your request for assistance based on qualification. You will be notified once a decision is made.

All Orange County EMS bills are considered the responsibility of the patient because the service was provided for the patient. The patient may reach out to the party that contacted the ambulance service to discuss options, but the patient remains primarily accountable for the bill.

Yes. When a patient's condition is such that the use of another method of transportation is medically inadvisable. Transportation must be deemed reasonable and medically necessary.

If Orange County EMS was dispatched and offered a billable service such as a 12 lead EKG or administered medication, you may receive a bill for treatment non-transport. The fee for treatment non-transport is $150. For treatment non-transport level 2, the fee is $225.

No. Non-transports are not a covered service with Medicare and many other insurance plans. As a courtesy, we will file non-transports to your insurance for consideration. Any balance remaining after insurance has processed our claim will become the responsibility of the patient.

Orange County EMS must have the patient's authorization on file or the patient's authorized representative consent on record in order to file to Medicare.

No. Medicare will only pay 80% of the approved amount. The patient or their supplemental insurance will be responsible for the balance or co-insurance amount.

Everyone has the option to appeal the claim within six months from the denial date. There are two ways to appeal either a Medical Necessity form completed by the doctor and / or a written letter form the patient.These are to be submitted to:
Medicare's Appeal Department.

Related Documents

• Medicare Level 1 Appeal Form (PDF)
  
• Medicare Links for Appeal Guidance
  
  

Yes. When you provide Orange County EMS with your primary insurance information, please notify us that you also have supplemental insurance as well. We will need your supplemental policy information such as policy number, group number and the mailing address.

Legal process can be pursued 120 days after transport if no insurance payment is pending and/or there has been no response made by you to the bills that we have sent out.

After 150 days of inactivity, the account becomes subject to garnishment.

The account must be paid in full to stop the process.

We will promptly process the necessary paperwork for a refund.

Anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks.

We are happy to work with you by setting up a payment arrangement.

It is the patient's responsibility to provide liability information. Attorneys can request records and bills by faxing a consent of release documentation to 919-644-3091.

We accept cash, money orders, Master Card, Visa, American Express, or Discover.

To pay in person or speak to a representative about your bill, our physical location is:
Gateway Building
228 S Churton Street
Hillsborough, NC 27278

Yes. You are still responsible for your bill. It is your responsibility to notify us with your updated address.