Frequently Asked Questions
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
1. What does an MPS membership cost?
A single membership is $30.00 and a family membership is $40.00. A family constitutes anyone in your household that you claim on your taxes. We also include any child that is still living with their guardian up to the age of 25.
2. What services does my membership cover for me?
Your membership will cover you completely in the event of an emergency. You will never receive a bill for any out of pocket expense if you are taken in emergency on the ambulance. It also covers all MEDICALLY NECESSARY non-emergency stretcher transports. It will not cover you if you just want to be transported in the ambulance for convenience or comfort. You must have a physician sign a form stating you need a stretcher to transport you. This is only for non-emergencies, as stated earlier any emergency taken through the 911 center is automatically covered.
Your membership also gives you discounts on wheelchair transports. It cost $20.00 per way for members, $35.00 round trip, and $35.00 per way for non-members, $70.00 round trip.
3. How far will you transport me for a non-emergency?
MPS transports within a 150 mile radius, which does include Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and Cleveland.
4. Do you charge a fee if you have to bill a patient for a wheelchair trip or any
non-emergency?
No. We do not charge patients extra for any billing that we send.
5. Why should I have an MPS membership?
As stated before, if you are a member you will never pay any out of pocket expense in the event of an emergency. Most insurances and Medicare will not pay a full ambulance bill, and unfortunately depending on your policy some insurances won’t pay for the ambulance at all. Therefore, if you are not a member you could incur the cost of what your insurance does not pay or the whole bill if your policy does not contain ambulance coverage.
6. When does my membership go into effect and for how long am I covered?
Your membership is effective from the day that we receive it, and it covers you for a year. You will be covered until November 30, 2008. If you send it in September or October you actually get an extra month for free because you still won’t expire until 11-30-2008.
7. If I join MPS in the middle of the year will I be charged less for my membership?
No. We cannot by law pro-rate our memberships. You are more that welcome to join at any point in the year, but you will still expire November 30th like everyone else, and the cost is still the same.
8. If I spend half the year in Florida or any where else can my membership be discounted?
No. As stated earlier we cannot pro-rate memberships by law.
9. Will you still bill my medical insurance for transport even though I’m a member?
Yes. MPS will bill your insurance. Your membership covers all
OUT-OF-POCKET expenses. Your membership guarantees you that you will never pay any expense out of your own pocket.
10. What if I do not have any medical insurance, will my membership still cover me?
Yes. Your membership will cover your ambulance trip even if you don’t have insurance.
11. What does a typical ambulance trip cost?
An ambulance trip can cost anywhere from $385.00 for BLS to $717.00 for ALS. It all depends on how hurt you are and what you require. As you can see $30.00 or $40.00 dollars per year is inexpensive compared to paying for an ambulance trip?
12. What is the difference between MPS and ECI, and if I’m a Millcreek resident why should I join MPS over ECI?
The difference between the two companies is that MPS is owned by the five volunteer fire departments. ECI is owned by three of the hospitals in Erie. If you are a MPS member you can dial 911 anywhere in Erie County and have your bill covered by your membership – with ECI you have to remember a seven digit number. The problem with seven digit numbers is if you are really sick or hurt to the point that you are unable to speak and you dial ECI’s seven digit number it will not show on a computer screen who you are and where you are calling from, therefore they cannot send you help. This is why Erie County got away from seven digit emergency numbers and put the enhanced 911 system in place. If you dial 911 and pass out or can’t speak for yourself, the address and phone number you called from will show up on a computer screen and the dispatcher can send help. With ECI if you are in Millcreek you have to dial a seven digit number, but if you are in Erie you can dial 911. It becomes very confusing which number to dial and where you should dial it from. Also with ECI they want you to dial 911 for police and fire, and a seven digit number for ambulance. In a panic situation will you really remember which number to dial depending on what your emergency is and where you are located at the time of your emergency? 911 is used for a reason, and MPS does not believe in all the confusion that a seven digit number can incur. Even our children are taught 911 in school – there is a very good reason for that! Another reason to join MPS if you are a Millcreek resident, MPS has 3 staffed ALS units and 1 back up paramedic in the township during the day, and 2 staffed ALS units at night. These ambulances are stationed at the various fire departments to insure coverage throughout the township. ECI only has one ambulance in the township day and night. It is stationed at 23rd and Peninsula, but is also a back up to the city. This means at any given time there could be no ECI units in Millcreek and you would have to wait for an ambulance to come from the city.
13. If I’m hurt in the city will MPS pick me up?
NO. MPS will not pick you up in the city because only Emergycare can respond off the 911 system in Erie, but your bill will be covered through your MPS membership. If you ever get a bill from ECI just bring it to the MPS office and we will take care of it for you.
14. Do I have to join both services if I spend a lot of time in Erie?
No. It is not necessary to join both, because as stated earlier your membership will cover you anywhere in Erie County!
15. Will MPS cover me if I’m out of Erie County, such as ECI advertises to do?
No. MPS will cover you in any part of Erie County. ECI does cover certain areas of different states. They advertise that they will cover you in 25 different states, but you must be in the small area of the state that they cover. They do not cover 25 whole states.
16. If I live in the city, but want to join MPS can I do so?
Technically you can, but we strongly advise against it. We believe that Erie residents should join ECI and Millcreek residents should join MPS. Each company is best equipped to handle their own territory.
17. If I DON”T have an MPS membership and I dial 911 in Millcreek can I still get an ambulance if I need one?
Yes. You will always receive an ambulance when you dial 911 to request one, but if you don’t have an MPS membership you could incur out-of-pocket expenses for you transport.