EMS Revenue Recovery

About the Program


An EMS revenue recovery program obtains reimbursement for emergency medical (ambulance) transport costs. Medicaid, Medicare, and most other insurance policies already cover this service. An EMS revenue recovery program recovers funds that can be reinvested into emergency services provided by the Town.

EMS employees

The Christiansburg Rescue Squad responds to between 3,400 - 4,000 calls for service annually, sometimes trying to answer three or four calls at one time. Local area needs have simply outpaced the ability of volunteer rescuers to respond to all of the calls in our community.

The Town greatly appreciates and respects the service of our rescue squad volunteers. These men and women still play a vital role in providing coverage to area residents under a revenue recovery program. The Town's revenue recovery program supplements these volunteer efforts with career staff to help answer calls during the day.

Additionally, providing high quality emergency service levels is a top priority for the Town and billing is an effective means of obtaining necessary funds without placing an additional tax burden on our citizens.

The Town's EMS revenue recovery program utilizes “compassionate billing” practices, which are intended to minimize out-of-pocket expenses for those without the means to pay.

Most importantly, no one will ever be denied EMS treatment or transport based on their ability to pay. During an emergency, we want you to call 911 without hesitation.

More than 100 other EMS providers across Virginia currently utilize similar EMS revenue recovery programs to help meet their community needs. Within our region, these providers include Floyd, Giles, and Roanoke Counties, the cities of Roanoke and Salem, and Pulaski County Emergency Medical Services and Radford Fire and EMS.

EMS Revenue Recovery Ordinance (PDF)

Town Rates

The Town rates adopted herein are as follows:

Service

New Town Rate
Advanced Life Support (ALS) 1 Emergency
$908.84
Advanced Life Support (ALS) 2 Emergency
$1,315.43
Basic Life Support (BLS) Emergency 
$765.32
Mileage:

$15.56

Please Remember

  • Medicaid, Medicare and most other insurance policies provide coverage for EMS transport as part of their standard policy.
  • The Town uses compassionate billing practices.
  • No one will ever be denied EMS treatment or service based on their ability to pay. 
  • If you are not taken to the hospital, you will not receive a bill. 
  • Revenue recovery is a user-based fee. If you do not require EMS transport services, you do not pay.