'I'd Jump On It': EMSAcare Program Covers Out-Of-Pocket Ambulance Costs

Joshua Simmons says his family was scrambling after his wife, who has a brain tumor, found herself in an emergency.

“We didn’t know it was a large tumor, it had grown quite a bit, and so it kind of caught us off guard … she woke up deaf,” he said. 

They’re from Broken Arrow but took an EMSA ambulance to get to the hospital.

Simmons says the trip was not fully covered by his insurance, so he had to pay the rest out of pocket.

“I spent over $500,” he said. 

Adam Paluka with EMSA says an ambulance ride can feel like a lot, and a surprise bill after the fact can add to the stress.

“EMSA transports are usually about $1,300 to $1,400 for emergency transports,” he said. 

But he says medical emergencies shouldn’t cause financial emergencies — and that’s where EMSAcare comes in.

“EMSAcare members have no worries when it comes to those out-of-pocket costs, whether your insurance pays a little, a lot, or nothing at all,” he said. 

He says those who sign up pay a monthly fee of about 6 dollars through Tulsa's city water bill. People in Jenks and Sand Springs are automatically enrolled.

“In the last 5 years, we’ve saved Tulsans more than 55 million dollars,” Paluka said. 

Paluka says the program is designed so people can focus on healing from an injury or illness rather than focusing on the bill.

“A lot of people might feel healthy, they might feel like they don’t need this, but accidents and medical emergencies happen any time, every day and it’s always better to have that peace of mind,” he said. 

And Simmons thinks it’s worth it.

“I’d definitely jump on it,” he said. 

The deadline to enroll is August 31st.

If you are ineligible to pay for EMSAcare through your water bill, you can pay $65 to EMSA before August ends and you’ll be covered for the rest of the year.

For more information, click here.