Non-Emergency vs. Emergency Ambulance: The Key Difference
When most people hear the word "ambulance," they picture a vehicle racing to an emergency with lights and sirens. But there is an entirely separate category: the non-emergency ambulance — a vehicle designed for patients who need transport in a medical setting but are not experiencing a life-threatening emergency requiring a 911 response.
Non-emergency ambulances (also called stretcher vans, gurney vehicles, or non-emergency medical transport vehicles) serve patients who are too ill or medically fragile for a standard vehicle or wheelchair van, but who do not need the full resources of an emergency ambulance crew.
When Is a Non-Emergency Ambulance Appropriate?
- The patient cannot sit upright due to their medical condition (post-surgical, bedridden, recovering from a procedure)
- The patient must remain on a stretcher or gurney during transport for safety or comfort
- The patient requires basic medical monitoring during transport but not emergency intervention
- Hospital discharge planning determines the patient is not safe for standard vehicle transport
- The patient is being transferred between medical facilities (hospital to nursing home, hospital to rehab center)
Stretcher Transport vs. Wheelchair Van Transport
The key distinction is patient positioning. Wheelchair van transport accommodates patients who are seated in a wheelchair. Stretcher transport is for patients who cannot sit upright at all. Stretcher transport requires two crew members (driver plus attendant) and specialized vehicles. Costs are higher — typically $150-$350+ per trip compared to $65-$120 for wheelchair van transport.
Insurance Coverage
- Medicaid: Covers stretcher transport when medically necessary and authorized by the patient's MCO. Physician documentation required.
- Medicare Part B: Covers non-emergency ambulance transport only if the destination is a hospital, skilled nursing facility, or the patient's home, and only if the patient's condition requires ambulance-level transport.
- Private insurance: Coverage varies; prior authorization often required.
How to Book in NJ
Delta Medical Transportation offers stretcher transport throughout New Jersey. When booking, have ready: patient diagnosis and reason stretcher is required, pickup and drop-off locations (floor and room if at a hospital), appointment date and time, and insurance information.
Contact us or call (973) 389-3110. Learn more about our ambulance and stretcher transport services.