Sometimes you need some help getting to your medical appointments on time. You may call an ambulance to take you where you need to go in a pinch. When you’re picked up by an ambulance, the EMTs are required by law to stabilize you and take you to the nearest hospital to treat your exact medical needs. In other words, if you have suffered severe burns, they’ll take you to the nearest hospital with a specialized burn unit. They can take you to a specific hospital if you make your choice known, but it can cause you trouble down the line.
While ambulances are governed by strict rules concerning the hows and where they can take during an emergency, ambulette services can help take you to the hospitals you want, when you need them. The main difference between these two services is how they’re dispatched.
The Rules for Ambulances
When you call 911 for an emergency, that initial call determines more about which hospital they’re taking you to than you may realize. The dispatcher helps determine which EMT team gets your call, and those teams are often assigned specific zones where they have to take their passengers to the nearest hospitals in those zones — not necessarily the closest one to you.
Additionally, the EMTs need to take you to the nearest hospital with specialized care that meets your current needs. If you aren’t in a life-threatening situation that requires specialized care, you can make your desire for a specific hospital known; however, your insurance might not cover the switch in hospitals, and you may be stuck footing the bill.
The System Varies From State to State
Every state has a different system in place involving which hospitals ambulances can take you to after they pick you up. In New York, ambulances are not required to take you to the hospital of your choice. They take you to the nearest hospital within a 10-minute radius from where they initially picked you up.
How Private Ambulettes Differ From Ambulances
Emergency transport vehicles have strict rules about where they can take their patients. The closest hospital that can provide care is often the only choice available without jumping through hoops. When you have a specific hospital you want to be treated at but don’t want to be at the mercy of the strict rules of the NY ambulances, a private ambulette service can be the change in service you need.
Unlike the state-sponsored ambulance service, private ambulettes can take you to whichever hospital you want. They are not governed by the rules in place that limit EMTs to take patients to either the nearest hospital within the defined radius or to which one has the specialized medical treatment that they need.
Ambulette drivers are hired out by you and will honor your specific wishes about where you want to go. Instead of being taken to a hospital outside your insurance coverage or away from your doctors, you can arrive where you feel most comfortable and with staff you trust.
Trust Cathay Express Transportation With Your Ambulette Needs
Having a reliable service you can trust for your medical appointment transport needs is crucial when you need to get to your hospital of choice quickly. Cathay Express Transportation specializes in providing our clients with reliable medical transportation to the hospitals of their choice throughout New York City when they need it. Contact our team and schedule your next appointment with our expertly trained drivers today!