When you signed up for MASA, you added a layer of protection for moments when emergency medical transportation becomes necessary. But the best time to understand your membership isn’t while an ambulance is on the way or a bill has arrived in the mail. It’s now.
Here’s a practical look at how to prepare, what to do in an emergency and what happens when MASA steps in.
Get to know your MASA plan
After your plan becomes effective, take a few minutes to make MASA part of your household’s emergency preparation.
First, review your plan information and make sure your important documents and emergency contacts are up to date. Download the MASA mobile app for iOS or Android and sign in to the member portal so you know where to find your plan information and benefits when you need them. You can verify your benefits through the portal, the app, or by contacting our Member Services team.
Just as important, talk about the plan with everyone protected by it. If you share a household, make sure your family or other protected persons know MASA exists and understand the basics of how to utilize your benefits. If you live alone, consider making MASA information part of the emergency details you keep accessible for a trusted contact. You’ll also want to check in with them annually, to pass on any updates to your details.
Think of it like emergency prep: the goal isn’t to predict what will happen. It’s to make the next step easier to remember when something does.
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Before you leave home
If you’ll be outside the United States, do a little research before you go. Emergency systems and ambulance services can work differently from country to country, so know how to get emergency assistance at your destination.
It’s also important to check your specific MASA plan before leaving. The basic MASA protection area includes the continental U.S., Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico, and the Caribbean, while certain plans offer worldwide protection. Worldwide protection requires 10 days’ notice and is subject to geographic and other restrictions.
Checking before you go can help you understand exactly which protections and services apply and how to activate them.
Related article: Understanding your MASA protection before you hit the road
Always call 911 first in an emergency
In an emergency, your priority is getting the medical care you need. You do not need to call MASA before calling an ambulance. Call 911 or the appropriate local emergency number and get to the hospital. Our no-network model means you can use any ambulance provider within your protection area.
MASA is not a replacement for emergency services, and you should never delay emergency care while trying to contact MASA.
Related article: Why timely care is important
Peace of mind, activated
What happens next depends on the service involved.
For many ambulance protections — including emergency ground, air, and water ambulance transportation — members should request payment after the event. Other specialized services require our involvement during the event. Those can include services such as Repatriation to a Hospital Near Home, Patient Return, Hospital Visitor Transportation, Vehicle and RV Return, and Organ Recipient Transportation. The MASA Transport Team is available 24/7/365 for specialized transportation assistance, and in some circumstances, your attending medical team will need to confirm your condition.
So, while you generally don’t call MASA before an emergency ambulance ride, you should contact us when you need to activate a service that requires coordination. Member Services is available to help you understand which services are included in your particular plan.
What happens with your health insurance?
For an ambulance bill, your health insurance generally gets the first look.
The ambulance provider submits its invoice to your primary medical insurer. In most cases, your insurer pays the provider according to the in-network or out-of-network terms of your health plan. The ambulance provider may then send you a bill for the remaining balance. That is the bill you can submit to MASA for processing. MASA does not interact directly with your health insurer.
If you receive an Explanation of Benefits, or EOB, from your health insurer, keep it. Including your EOB with your ambulance bill can help expedite MASA’s review.
What about federal protections for air ambulance bills?
Air ambulance bills may work a little differently. The federal No Surprises Act (NSA) provides protections against certain surprise bills for air ambulance services, which can affect how much you’re responsible for after your health plan processes the bill. Once that process is complete, MASA can help with the remaining eligible remaining out-of-pocket costs based on your MASA plan.
How to submit a payment request
Once you have the ambulance bill, the process is designed to be straightforward. Submit it to MASA within 180 days of the emergency through the online member portal or by email. Include your MASA member number and, if available, your health insurance EOB.
Then you can expect three basic steps:
- Submission: MASA receives your bill and supporting information.
- Review: You’ll receive an automatic confirmation with basic details. A Claims Specialist will review the request and contact you if additional information is needed.
- Resolution: When the request is resolved, MASA will send you a letter notifying you of the resolution.
You can also check the status of an existing request through the member portal, the MASA app, or Member Services.
What out-of-pocket costs does MASA protect against?
One reason ambulance bills can be difficult to anticipate is that your health plan may leave you responsible for part of the cost. A MASA plan helps protect you from your out-of-pocket costs, such as the applicable copays, coinsurance, and deductibles associated with an ambulance bill.
Other circumstances can create out-of-pocket costs as well. An ambulance provider may be out of network, for example, or an insurer may deny all or part of a claim. Balance billing occurs when an ambulance company charges the patient the difference between its bill and the amount paid by health insurance.
That’s where your MASA plan can help. Core MASA benefits help ease eligible out-of-pocket costs for ground, air, and water ambulance services, including hospital-to-hospital transfers, so an unexpected ambulance bill doesn’t have to become an added concern after an emergency.
Related article: Why your insurance may not fully cover your ambulance ride
A little preparation goes a long way
Your MASA plan is designed to be there for circumstances you hope never happen. Here are a few simple actions that can make it much easier to use:
- Understand your benefits by reviewing your MASA plan
- Keep your important documents current
- Download the MASA mobile app for iOS or Android
- Make sure other protected members of your household or your designated emergency contact understand what to do
- Check your protections before leaving the country via the portal, the app, or by contacting our Member Services team
And remember the most important step of all: when there’s an emergency, call 911 — or the appropriate local emergency number — first. Get the care you need. Then, when it’s time to utilize your MASA benefits, you’ll be ready.
