EMS Billing and Financial Assistance
The Tacoma Fire Department provides Basic and Advanced Life Support services and medical transportation for the City of Tacoma, and under a service contract with the City of Fircrest, the City of Fife, and Pierce County Fire District 10 (FD10). This page explains BLS and ALS transportation costs and outlines financial assistance or payment plan options.
Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support Explained
Basic Life Support (BLS) is an emergency transport provided by certified Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). Advanced Life Support (ALS) is provided when a patient is in a more critical condition, and a certified Paramedic is needed to assist in treating the patient before and/or during transport to the emergency facility. ALS means that our emergency personnel can:
- Start intravenous lines
- Administer lifesaving medication
- Provide advanced airway management to help patients breathe
- Interpret EKG readings of a heart attack patient, among other lifesaving pre-hospital care
- View our Patient Privacy Notice (PDF document)
Financial Assistance and Payment Plan Options
First, we will bill any insurance providers you have for covered ambulance services. This will decrease your out-of-pocket amount, in some cases, to $0. If you have a balance after insurance payments, we offer an installment Payment Plan: a minimum of $25 monthly.
if you meet certain income limits, you may qualify for a partial or full discount on your invoice. We use the Tacoma Housing and Urban Development Income Limits to determine your eligibility and discount. Rates are effective as of May 15, 2023.
Income Limits for Financial Assistance
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INCOME LIMIT CATEGORY DISCOUNT PATIENT RESPONSIBILITY Â Low 25% 75% Â Very Low 50% 50% Â Extremely Low 100% 0% -
HOUSEHOLD SIZE LOW INCOME VERY LOW INCOME EXTREMELY LOW INCOME Â 1 $64,900 $40,550 $24,350 Â 2 $74,150 $46,350 $27,800 Â 3 $83,400 $52,150 $31,300 4 $92,650 $57,900 $34,750 5 $92,900 $62,550 $37,550 Â 6 $100,100 $67,200 $41,960 Â 7 $114,900 $71,800 $47,340 Â 8 $122,300 $76,450 $52,720
Documents submitted that demonstrate a grant of financial assistance from the receiving medical facility for medical care on the date of transport will be deemed evidence of qualification for financial assistance. After presenting such documentation and an application through EMS Billing Services, TFD will grant proportionally equivalent financial assistance.
We will notify you of the determination within 14 days of receiving the completed application and all supporting documents.
Financial Assistance Application:Â
- Complete the online Financial Assistance Application
- Download the Financial Assistance Application packet and mail the completed form with all supporting documents, to:
Tacoma Fire Department
PO Box 111630
Tacoma, WA 98411
Need additional help? If you need language access help, ADA accommodation, or help with technology barriers to get access to the EMS Transport Financial Assistance Application, contact Tacoma FIRST 311 by calling 3-1-1 inside the Tacoma city limits, or dialing (253) 591-5000 from anywhere else.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Both BLS and ALS transportation services have a cost. The current rate for a BLS patient transport is $1,250 and $25 for each mile traveled from the scene of your incident to the medical facility; ALS patient transport is $1,570 and $25 for each mile traveled from the scene of your incident to the medical facility.
To reduce the cost to residents for the EMS system, we set a charge for transport services that pays for the program’s expenses. This allows us to have a rate to bill your insurance and try to recover our costs through those payments. Also, numerous patients using EMS in our area do not reside or pay taxes here, and this charge allows them to help pay their portion of the service they are using.
Most charges are covered by your insurance provider, and sometimes the entire cost is covered; however, there may be a balance after your insurance has been paid. If you have questions about what your insurance covers, please contact your insurance provider directly.
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It depends. If you are a resident of the City of Tacoma, the City of Fircrest, or the City of Fife/Fire District #10, any balance remaining after your insurance has paid could be covered by the EMS Levy. *Any out-of-pocket charges from BLS transports before December 18, 2023, are not eligible for the EMS Levy benefits.
Not sure if you are a resident of the EMS Levy coverage area? Contact us at TFDbilling@tacoma.gov or call (253) 591-5844 to confirm we’ve billed all appropriate insurance coverage(s) to access the levy for your balance; otherwise, you will receive an invoice.
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There are some cases where insurance billing information needs to be corrected or re-submitted to receive your full insurance benefit:
- The information we have is for an old or expired insurance provider, and you have new insurance provider information for us.
- You have secondary or supplemental insurance coverage.
- We had incomplete insurance policy information or patient profile information when we submitted the bill to your insurance provider, and you can now give us the complete information.
If you received a bill for EMS transport and you think there may be an error with your insurance coverage, please contact us at TFDbilling@tacoma.gov or call (253) 591-5844 to confirm we have all your appropriate insurance coverage information in our records.
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You will receive an invoice from the Tacoma Fire Department that will provide our current payment options. These include:
- Calling (253) 591-5844 to make a credit card payment over the phone during business hours
- Visiting our Headquarters building at 901 Fawcett Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402 during business hours to make a payment by cash, check, or card
- Delivering payment (check or cash) to our Headquarters building dropbox (a large blue box outside the 2nd-floor door) at 901 Fawcett Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402
- Mailing a check to Tacoma Fire Department PO Box 111630, Tacoma, WA 98411
Please make checks payable to City of Tacoma and send them to:
Tacoma Fire Department
PO Box 111630
Tacoma, WA 98411Be sure to note your account or invoice number on your check and provide a current phone number where you can be reached.
Our office hours for phone payments or questions are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., excluding holidays.
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All outstanding charges are due within 30 days of receiving your invoice. Please note your invoice may be delayed as we wait for your insurance company to provide payment.
Charges not paid after 120 days of receiving your first invoice will be reviewed for submittal to a collection agency.
We offer payment plans and financial assistance, so please get in touch with us at (253) 591-5844 or TFDbilling@tacoma.gov to make arrangements for your situation.
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Learn more about your rights and protections against surprise medical bills and balance billing.
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The No Surprises Act does not currently apply to ground ambulance transportation in Washington State.