The deadline to join UT Health East Texas EMS is approaching. Open enrollment will close Nov. 20. Membership costs $60 for one year; current members can renew for $50.
“Membership in UT Health EMS protects insured members from costly out-of-pocket expenses because it prepays any portion of the ambulance charges not covered by insurance or Medicare, as long as it is deemed medically necessary by their insurance,” said Jimmy Zednick, UT Health EMS director of operations.
The average cost of an ambulance transport is $750 and most insurance, including Medicare, will not cover the full amount of an ambulance bill.
For those with insurance, UT Health East Texas EMS membership includes full coverage of billed emergency transport charges and medically necessary non-emergency transportation to or from a hospital or nursing home, including coinsurance and deductibles. For those without insurance, membership provides 50 percent coverage of billed emergency transport charges.
“Membership coverage is for all qualified members of a household, which means you, your spouse and your dependent children living in your residence who are younger than 21, or 25 if in college,” Zednick said.
UT Health East Texas EMS serves most of Smith and Cherokee counties, all of Henderson County and portions of Wood County and the City of Henderson. UT Health East Texas EMS membership only includes ground transports in the UT Health East Texas EMS service area.
For more information or to enroll, call 1-800-642-JOIN (5646), or visit online at uthealtheasttexas.com/EMSmembership.
About UT Health East Texas
UT Health East Texas provides care to thousands of patients each year through an extensive regional network that includes 10 hospitals, more than 50 clinics, the Olympic Plaza Tower, 13 regional rehabilitation facilities, two freestanding emergency centers, regional home health services covering 41 counties, an EMS fleet of more than 50 ambulances and four helicopters, and a comprehensive seven-trauma center care network, including the region’s only Level 1 trauma facility.
As a partner with The University of Texas System, UT Health East Texas is uniquely positioned to provide patients with access to leading-edge research and clinical therapies while training and educating the next generation of physicians and other health professionals. The nationally recognized UT System also includes UT MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, as well as three other major university medical centers located throughout the state.