Updated information about non-emergency ground ambulance providers and data for discharge planning

Our network of ground ambulance providers has expanded. In addition, we compiled ground ambulance data to support our facility partners with discharge planning.

Starting June 1, 2023, Medstar joined Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network’s network of nearly 200 ground ambulance service providers. Medstar is now a contracted, or participating, provider.

As a reminder, you must order transfers from contracted ambulance services when arranging for non-emergency ground transfers. This will prevent patients from being balance billed substantial amounts from noncontracted ambulance services. In some instances, members have been charged nearly four times our contracted rates.

Use our Find a Doctor tool on bcbsm.com to identify contracted providers. For step-by-step instructions on how to do this, see this provider alert, which was posted on May 4, 2023.

Notes:

• Superior Ambulance Service isn’t a contracted provider and has been balance billing members. We published provider alerts about this in October 2022 and May 2023.
• Medstar provides services in Bay, Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Ingham, Lapeer, Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties.

Ground ambulance data for discharge planning

To support our facility affiliates with discharge planning for Blue Cross commercial members, we surveyed contracted ground ambulance service providers in Southeast Michigan to:

• Assess which providers make emergency runs, non-emergency runs or both.
• Identify the geographic areas covered by each ambulance service provider.

To view the survey data:

1. Log in to our provider portal, availity.com.**
2. Click on Payer Spaces on the menu bar and then click on the BCBSM and BCN logo.
3. Click on the Resources tab.
4. Click on Secure Provider Resources (Blue Cross and BCN).
5. Click on Billing and Claims on the menu bar and then click on Claims.
6. Click on the link for the document titled Ground ambulance data for discharge planning in Southeast Michigan.

**Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network don’t own or control this website.