The BGA has an article which outlines the charges levied by many fire departments or the governing municipalities.
Free ambulance rides, once a common practice among Chicago-area municipalities, have become increasingly rare, according to a Better Government Association analysis of about 130 fire departments in Cook County, and that ambulance fees, standards and practices vary widely among communities.
Fees for emergency transports range from $0 to $2,587 depending on the level of care provided, the residency of the patient and other factors.
Ambulance fees are here to stay because cash-strapped villages, towns and cities have come to depend on these “user fees” to cover emergency service costs, and create new revenue opportunities designed to help contain or ease local tax increases.
In Cook County, a “basic life support,” or BLS, ride could cost residents anywhere from $0 to $1,200, with an average rate of $587. Along with emergency transportation to a hospital, BLS may include basic care such as CPR, splinting fractures or controlling bleeding. For non-residents, who are often charged a higher price, BLS fees range from $365.42 to $1,400, with an average rate of $732.
“Advanced life support,” or ALS, fees range from $0 to $1,900 for residents and $433 to $2,587 for non-residents. ALS is typically divided into two categories based on the level of support, which includes more advanced care such as cardiac monitoring and giving medication.
The City of Chicago charges residents $900 for BLS, $1,050 for the lesser ALS care, and $1,200 for the more sophisticated ALS care, plus $17 per mile and $25 for oxygen. Non-residents pay an additional $100 fee.
Billing policies vary just as much as the rates. Some agencies accept insurance as payment in full, while others bill the patient for any remaining balance, and, in some cases, employ a collections agency to recoup the debt.
Highest Ambulance Rates in Cook County
In 2002, Medicare instituted a standardized rate schedule that increases annually based on inflation. Regardless of what a provider charges, Medicare pays according to its reimbursement rates, which range from $367.32 to $436.20 per ambulance transport. Since Medicare is the largest payer for ambulance services, the fees that are set by each local governing body become less meaningful.
Forest View, McCook and Rosemont are the only remaining places in Cook County that do not charge residents for ambulance service (though non-residents will get a bill.)
AGENCY RESIDENT NON-RESIDENT MILEAGE OTHER FEES BLS ALS-1 ALS-2 BLS ALS-1 ALS-2 Res. Non-Res.
Alsip FD 700 800 N/A 800 850 N/A 15/mi 15/mi YES Arlington Heights FD 400 400 450 600 600 650 0 0 Barrington FD 420 525 N/A 525 630 N/A 45 55 YES Barrington Countryside FPD 600 800 1000 800 900 1100 12/mi 12/mi Bartlett FPD 550 800 1000 800 1100 1200 10/mi 10/mi YES Bedford Park FD 550 800 1200 750 1100 1400 15/mi 15/mi YES Bellwood FD 350 400 N/A 400 450 N/A 8/mi 8/mi YES Bensenville FPD 850 1100 1375 1275 1650 2100 16/mi 16/mi Berkeley FD 825 1300 1725 1125 1950 2550 15/mi 15/mi YES Berwyn FD 450 550 N/A 550 600 N/A 10/mi 10/mi YES Blue Island FD 500 N/A N/A 600 N/A N/A 10/mi 10/mi YES Bridgeview FD 600 700 N/A 650 750 N/A 12/mi 12/mi YES Broadview FD 725 1050 1250 825 1200 1400 12/mi 12/mi YES Brookfield FD 750 1000 N/A 750 1000 N/A 15/mi 15/mi YES Buffalo Grove FD 475 550 700 650 750 925 8.50/mi 8.50/mi YES Burbank FD 500 865 N/A 500 865 N/A 50 or 70 50 or 70 YES Burnham FD 725 950 1100 725 950 1100 22.50/mi 22.50/mi YES Calumet City FD 700 800 N/A 700 800 N/A 7/mi 7/mi YES Calumet Park FD 600-650 675-725 N/A 650 725 N/A 15/mi 15/mi YES Chicago FD 900 1050 1200 1000 1150 1300 17/mi 17/mi YES Chicago Heights FD 600 700 800 600 700 800 15/mi 15/mi YES Chicago Ridge FD 450 500 N/A 550 650 N/A 12/mi 12/mi YES Cicero FD 400 750 1000 400 750 1000 25/mi 25/mi YES Country Club Hills FD 450 550 650 550 650 750 10/mi 10/mi Crestwood FD 550 650 N/A 600 700 N/A 10/mi 10/mi YES Deerfield-Bannockburn FPD 500 700 N/A 500 700 N/A 10/mi 10/mi Des Plaines FD 500 700 950 650 950 1150 15/mi 15/mi Dixmoor FD 725 950 1100 725 950 1100 22.50/mi 22.50/mi YES Dolton FD 725 950 1100 725 950 1100 22.50/mi 22.50/mi YES East Dundee & Countryside FPD 550 950 1250 750 1150 1350 10/mi 10/mi YES East Hazel Crest FD 725 950 1100 725 950 1100 22.50/mi 22.50/mi YES Elgin FD 442.75 525.75 760 692.75 900 1135 10/mi 10/mi YES Elk Grove Village FD 519 622 893 774 876 1155 8/mi 12.68/mi Elmhurst FD 750 1150 1250 850 1250 1350 16/mi 16/mi YES Elmwood Park FD 700 1000 1300 900 1200 1500 20/mi 22/mi YES Evanston FD 362 429 621 500 550 700 7/mi 7/mi Evergreen Park FD 650 750 N/A 700 800 N/A 15/mi 15/mi YES Flossmoor FD 1100 1300 1500 1100 1300 1500 10/mi 10/mi Ford Heights FD 725 950 1100 725 950 1100 22.50/mi 22.50/mi YES Forest Park FD 400 1000 1200 400 1000 1200 25/mi 25/mi YES Forest View FD 0 N/A N/A 650 N/A N/A 0 0 YES Fox River Grove FPD 700 900 1000 700 900 1000 12/mi 12/mi Franklin Park FD 850 1100 1375 1275 1650 2100 0 0 Glencoe FD 522 600 683 610 688 766 7.17/mi 7.17/mi Glenview FD 889.15 889.15 N/A 1004.65 1004.65 N/A 11.26/mi 11.26/mi Glenwood FD 725 950 1100 725 950 1100 22.50/mi 22.50/mi YES Golf FD 889.15 889.15 N/A 1004.65 1004.65 N/A 11.26/mi 11.26/mi Hanover Park FD 625 725 975 625 725 975 10.50/mi 10.50/mi YES Harvey FD 725 950 1100 725 950 1100 22.50/mi 22.50/mi YES Hazel Crest FD 361.31 429.05 589.07 500 700 700 0 0 YES Hillside FD 825 1300 1725 1125 1950 2550 16/mi 16/mi YES Hinsdale FD 550 650 800 800 1000 1200 10/mi 25/mi YES Hoffman Estates FD 370.6 440.09 636.98 653.26 757.78 1019.08 8.32/mi 10.92/mi Hoffman Estates FPD 370.6 440.09 636.98 653.26 757.78 1019.08 8.32/mi 10.92/mi Hometown FPD 1200 1200 N/A 1400 1400 N/A 15/mi 15/mi YES Homewood FD 450 550 N/A 650 750 N/A 10/mi 10/mi YES Kenilworth FD 525 675 N/A 650 850 N/A 12/mi 12/mi La Grange FD 440 710 N/A 440 710 N/A 8/mi 8/mi La Grange Park FD 500 800 800 800 1200 1200 15/mi 15/mi YES Lake Zurich/Lake Zurich Rural FPD 600 600 N/A 700 700 N/A 1/mi 1/mi Lansing FD 365.42 450 628.06 365.42 450 628.06 7.09/mi 7.09/mi YES Lemont FPD 450 750 N/A 650 1000 N/A 10/mi 10/mi YES Lincolnwood FD 500 700 950 850 1000 1250 15/mi 17/mi Lynwood FD 725 950 1100 725 950 1100 22.50/mi 22.50/mi YES Lyons FD 600 700 800 1000 1200 1400 15/mi 15/mi Markham FD 725 950 1100 725 950 1100 22.50/mi 22.50/mi YES Matteson FD 450 550 650 650 750 850 10/mi 10/mi YES Maywood FD 500 800 N/A 700 1000 N/A 15/mi 15/mi YES McCook FD 0 0 0 1250 1250 2000 0 12/mi YES Melrose Park FD 850-950 1100 1375 850-950 1100 1375 16/mi 16/mi YES Merrionette Park FD 650 N/A N/A 700 N/A N/A 15/mi 15/mi YES Midlothian FD 700 800 900 750 850 950 16/mi 16/mi Morton Grove FD 500 700 950 650 950 1150 15/mi 15/mi YES Mount Prospect FD 365.42 433.93 628.06 465.42 533.93 728.06 7.09/mi 7.09/mi Niles FD 500 700 950 750 950 1150 15/mi 15/mi YES North Palos FPD 850 1100 1375 1275 1650 2100 16/mi 16/mi YES North Riverside FD 600 1200 N/A 600 1200 N/A 25/mi 25/mi YES Northbrook FD 500 500 500 700 700 700 0 0 Northfield FD 500 600 675 625 700 750 10/mi 10/mi Northlake FPD 780 1280 1600 1280 1600 1850 18.5/mi 18.5/mi YES Northwest Homer FPD 550 650 N/A 650 750 N/A 10/mi 10/mi YES Norwood Park FPD 600 1000 1200 600 1000 1200 25/mi 25/mi YES Oak Brook FD 550 700 800 650 800 900 10/mi 10/mi YES Oak Forest FD 650 750 N/A 750 900 N/A 15/mi 15/mi YES Oak Lawn FD 600 700 800 650 950 1150 15/mi 15/mi YES Oak Park FD 500 800 N/A 700 1000 N/A 15/mi 15/mi Olympia Fields FD 600 700 800 600 700 800 15/mi 15/mi YES Orland FPD 1000 1100 1200 1100 1200 1250 15/mi 15/mi Palatine FD 441 523 758 533 632 915 7/mi 7/mi Palatine Rural FPD 700 825 1000 945 1115 1350 10/mi 10/mi YES Palos FPD 550 550 N/A 850 850 N/A 0 0 Palos Heights FPD 795 895 995 995 1095 1195 10/mi 15/mi Park Forest FD 365 435 630 615 710 780 7/mi 7/mi YES Park Ridge FD 500 700 950 650 950 1150 15/mi 15/mi Phoenix FD 725 950 1100 725 950 1100 22.50/mi 22.50/mi YES Pleasantview FPD 710 1050 N/A 710 1050 N/A 25/mi 25/mi Posen FD 750 750 750 900 900 900 20/mi 20/mi Prospect Heights FPD 400 450 650 500 550 750 10/mi 10/mi Richton Park FD 450 550 N/A 550 700 N/A 10/mi 10/mi YES River Forest FD 600 950 1200 750 1100 1500 20/mi 22/mi YES River Grove FD 375-600 1000 1200 375-600 1000 1200 25/mi 25/mi YES Riverdale FD 725 950 1100 725 950 1100 22.50/mi 22.50/mi YES Riverside FD 500 700 850 800 1000 1000 15/mi 15/mi Robbins FD 725 950 1100 725 950 1100 22.50/mi 22.50/mi YES Roberts Park FPD 1150 1500 1900 1275 1650 2100 16/mi 16/mi YES Rolling Meadows FD 375 450 600.85 375 450 600.85 7/mi 7/mi Roselle FD 800 1000 1200 900 1200 1400 15/mi 20/mi YES Rosemont FD 0 0 0 500 700 700 0 0 Sauk Village FD 725 950 1100 725 950 1100 22.50/mi 22.50/mi YES Schaumburg FD 365.42 433.93 628.06 618.59 759.52 936.76 7.09/mi 7.09/mi Schiller Park FD 650 1100 1300 700 1200 1400 16/mi 16/mi YES Skokie FD 500 700 950 650 950 1150 15/mi 15/mi YES South Chicago Heights FD 750 850 850 750 850 850 10/mi 10/mi YES South Holland FD 450 550 N/A 500 600 N/A 10/mi 10/mi YES Steger FD 500 600 N/A 550 750 N/A 10/mi 10/mi YES Stickney FD 500 N/A N/A 550 N/A N/A 15/mi 15/mi YES Stone Park FD 750 750 750 1250 1500 2000 10/mi 10/mi YES Streamwood FD 367.32 436.2 631.34 625 725 975 7.16/mi 10.50/mi Summit FD 650 900 1100 750 1000 1200 5/mi 7/mi Thornton FD 450 550 N/A 550 650 N/A 10/mi 10/mi YES Tinley Park FD 725 850 950 725 850 950 20/mi 20/mi Tri-State FPD 750 1000 N/A 1000 1250 N/A 15/mi 15/mi YES University Park FD 625 800 N/A 725 900 N/A 15/mi 15/mi Westchester FD 850 1305 1725 1275 1957.5 2587.5 16/mi 16/mi Western Springs FD 500 600 700 800 900 1000 15/mi 15/mi YES Wheeling FD 365.42 433.93 628.06 365.42 433.93 628.06 0 0 Wilmette FD 450 550 700 450 550 700 7.5/mi 7.5/mi Winnetka FD 525 675 N/A 650
thanks Dan
