Page 12 Savvy Senior How Medicare Covers Ambulance Services Dear Savvy Senior, How does Medicare cover ambulance services? About three months ago, I took an ambulance to the hospital emergency room because I rarely drive anymore, and I just received a $1,100 bill from the ambulance company. Dear Surprised, This is a Medicare issue that confuses many seniors. Yes, Medicare does covers emergency ambulance services and, in limited cases, non-emergency ambulance services too, but only when they’re deemed medically necessary and reasonable. So, what does that means? First, it means that your medical condition must be serious enough that you need an ambulance to transport you safely to a hospital or other facility where you receive care that Medicare covers. If a car or taxi could transport you without endangering your health, Medicare won’t pay. For example, Medicare probably won’t pay for an ambulance to take someone with a simple arm fracture to a hospital. But if he or she goes into shock, or is prone to internal bleeding, ambulance transport may be medically necessary to ensure the patient’s safety on the way. The details make a difference. Second, the ambulance must take you to the nearest appropriate facility, meaning the closest hospital, critical access hospital, skilled nursing facility or dialysis facility generally equipped to provide the services your illness or injury requires. It also means that the facility must have a physician or physician specialist available to treat your condition. Thus, Medicare may pay for an ambulance to take you to a more distant hospital if, for example, you are seriously burned, and the nearest hospital doesn’t have burn unit. Similarly, if you live in a rural area where the nearest hospital equipped to treat you is a two-hour drive away, Medicare will pay. But if you want an ambulance to take you to a more distant hospital because the doctor you prefer has staff privileges there, expect to pay a greater share of the bill. Medicare will cover the cost of ambulance transport to the nearest appropriate facility and no more. Non-Emergency Situations In limited cases, Medicare will also cover non-emergency ambulance services if such transportation is needed to treat or diagnose your health condition and the use of any other transportation method could endanger your health. Not having another means of transportation is not sufficient for Medicare to pay for services. Some examples here are if you need transportation to get dialysis or if you are staying in a skilled nursing facility and require medical care. In these cases, a doctor’s order may be required to prove that use of an ambulance is medically necessary. Ambulance Costs The cost for ambulance services can vary from several hundred to several thousand dollars depending on where you live and how far you’re transported. Under original Medicare, Part B pays 80 percent of the Medicare-approved amounts for ambulance rides. You, or your Medicare supplemental policy (if you have one), will need to pay the remaining 20 percent. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, it must cover the same services as original Medicare, and may offer some additional transportation services. You’ll need to check with your plan for details. How to Appeal If an ambulance company bills you for services after Medicare denies payment, but you think the ride was medically necessary, you can appeal (see Medicare.gov/claims-appeals). Often, a lack of information about a person’s condition or need for services leads to denials. If you need some help contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), which has counselors that can help you file an appeal for free. To locate your local SHIP, visit ShiptaCenter. org or call 877-839-2675. For more information on this topic, call Medicare at 800-6334227 and ask them to mail you a copy of the “Medicare Coverage of Ambulance Services” booklet, or you can see it online at Medicare.gov/Pubs/pdf/11021-Medicare-Coverage-of-Ambulance-Services.pdf. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. Surprised Senior THE MALDEN ADVOCATE – Friday, August 9, 2019 REFORMS | FROM PAGE 3 schools,” he said. After reading the press release, Christenson reached out to Crute to tell him that school officials met with members of MaldenCORE earlier this summer to listen to their concerns and tell them about some of the new initiatives being planned for the upcoming school year. “I also let him know that we planned on following back up with the group before the school year started to address their recommendations as well as those questions we didn’t have an immediate answer for during the July 9th said Christenson, who added that Oteri also outlined steps he has taken to address MaldenCORE’s goals during the administration Facebook live event on July 25. Crute and his organization urged members of the community to attend the upcoming August rally, which they suggested was planned after MaldenCORE members presented their demands for reform to city and school officials in July. According to the press release, “The district did not respond to the demands and has not indicated a commitment to them, so we will rally again. Our demands address both the differential treatment and outright racism in the Malden Public Schools – for both educators and students of color.” But Christenson said that’s not quite accurate. “The rally on August 26th was not predicated on whether we responded since MaldenCORE had already announced that they were planning another rally prior to our meeting,” he said. In his letter, Crute focused on the statistics that show 71 percent of the students in Malden schools are Black, Asian, Latinx or from a multi-race OBITUARIES | FROM PAGE 10 make Sausalito the special place he loved so much. Herbie is survived by his brother Robert Weiner and wife Marilyn, sister Wendy Mack as well as his niece Julie Gross and her husband Evan, nephews Darren Weiner and Keith Weiner and wife Jayme along with two great-nephews, Eli Gross and Alexander Weiner. And of course, his beloved dog, Enzo. Herbie lived life to the fullest and he was known to live in the present. Eleanor Roosevelt's Quote reminds us of how Herbie lived his life: "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and today is a gift that is why it is called the present." There will be a Celebration of Life on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019. background, while 92 percent of the district’s teachers are White. According to Crute, that imbalance, which is the result of systemic and structural racism, has led to a lack of cultural understanding and ongoing differential treatment. “We have received various complaints about low retention for educators of color, as well as racist bullying within the school system,” he wrote, adding that he hopes Malden’s elected officials and the school administration will support change that will lead to social, political, educational and economic equality for all. meeting,” ~ LEGAL NOTICE ~ COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS THE TRIAL COURT PROBATE AND FAMILY COURT Middlesex Divison Docket No. 19P0988EA Estate of: Marie Josephine Simpson Also Known As: Marie Simpson Date of Death: 11/06/2018 NOTICE OF INFORMAL PROBATE To all persons interested in the above captioned estate, by Petition of Petitioner Lori A. Fierro of Malden, MA a Will has been admitted to informal probate. Lori A. Fierro of Malden, MA has been infomally appointed as the Personal Representative of the estate to serve without surety on the bond. The estate is being administered under informal procedure by the Personal Representative under the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code without supervision by the Court. Inventory and accounts are not required to be filed with the Court, but interested parties are entitled to notice regarding the administration from the Personal Representative and can petition the Court in any matter relating to the estate, including distribution of assets and expenses of administration. Interested parties are entitled to petition the Court to institute formal proceedings and to obtain orders terminating or restricting the powers of Personal Representatives appointed under informal procedure. A copy of the Petition and Will, if any can be obtained from the Petitioner. August 9, 2019 “The people of Malden need prompt action to be taken to create racial equity and inclusion in the Malden Public Schools. This action is long overdue,” he said. But from Christenson’s perspective that change is not only welcomed, it is already underway. “I am confident that our schools will continue to provide a safe environment for all students and that we will work together to identify meaningful solutions moving forward,” he said.” In the meantime, Mr. Crute and I agreed to meet next week to discuss this important matter further.”
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