Ambulance rides in San Diego just got more expensive — this is why

Yahoo

05-06-2025

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — For the fifth year in a row, the City of San Diego is raising its ambulance transport fees — this time by 18% over the next three years. But city leaders insist: most patients won't be impacted.
The San Diego City Council approved the increase unanimously Tuesday, pushing the total hike since 2021 to just over 32%, according to reporting from The San Diego Union-Tribune.
The cost for the most advanced level of ambulance service will rise from $3,151 to $3,717. Despite the eye-popping numbers, city officials say the increase will mostly impact insurance companies, not patients.
Only about 11% of ambulance patients — those with private insurance — may be affected, The San Diego Union-Tribune also reported. Patients with Medicare, Medi-Cal or no insurance won't see any change, thanks to a state law — AB 716 — that caps those charges at fixed rates.
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Councilmember Marni von Wilpert emphasized the hikes are tied to increasing costs from the city's private ambulance providers — Falck USA and American Medical Response (AMR) — who are billing the city $4.7 million more this coming fiscal year.
'We need to make sure we are doing the most competitive cost containment for our residents and delivering the best service,' von Wilpert said.
The rising fees come as the city reconsiders how it runs emergency medical services. While a recent partnership with Falck and AMR has been financially successful, city leaders are exploring whether to bring ambulance services in-house — something cities like Los Angeles and, more locally, Chula Vista have already done.
The San Diego Union-Tribune noted that Fire Chief Robert Logan said any move toward a city-run ambulance service would start slowly, possibly beginning with low-level emergency calls, while private companies continue handling life-threatening situations.
In a twist, this year's rate hike — like last year's — skipped a required committee review before heading to the full council. That move appears to violate council policy, though no council member appeared to raise concerns during the vote.
As the debate over who should run San Diego's ambulances continues, one thing's clear: the cost of care is rising — even if most patients won't see the bill.
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