Catch 22: Mom has "free" designated ambulance service through her residential township, yet billed $$$ for transport from another provider.
My mother's memory care unit is in a facility is located a township that provides designated emergency ambulance service. But when the facility calls 911 there is no telling which EMS will respond. The ambulance service that does respond & transports bills us directly and unfortunately we have mistakenly paid ($290.00 x 3). When I call the "free" designated EMS, they say that we should have returned the bill to the responding ambulance, unpaid, and note that my mother is a resident with paid ambulance service. The ambulance service that got the payment, refuses to speak to me without a nine page POA document (which I have completed & sent) and I am waiting. I have talked to the residential township, both ambulance providers as well as hospital, all to no avail. She is 99 and most likely has more ambulance rides in her future. I contacted Area Agency on Aging who referred me to a free legal service and a consumer bureau. Left messages all around. I am venting as well as asking for any suggestions on how to avoid this carnival of billing errors.
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I think you need to establish if the service billing you is private. Township services are paid for thru taxes. Private services don't get tax revenue. So I doubt if they would fall under "free". Think u may have been given the wrong info.
You may need to establish with the NH that they request the free service when calling 911. Before you paid the bill, did you make sure that Medicare was billed as well as any secondary insurance? The private ones may not have the ability to bill Medicare or insurances. You go thru alot to be approved by either. If this is how it is, you maybe able to get reimbursed by her insurances.
Also be aware for Medicare to pay it has to be an emergency. Transportation is not covered. Maybe the same for secondary insurance.
You should be able to call and ask questions. Your POA is required to be able to discuss Moms account.