Ambulance Care

Nearly every country in the world has some type of emergency medical care. The type and availability of service can vary widely between countries and even within countries. Despite this, there are some consistencies. Most nations have an emergency telephone number, for example 911 in the United States and 112 in much of Europe. Most countries' emergency services use ambulances, but in some places you can encounter helicopters and even snowmobiles.

The United States is different from much of the West in that very many of the emergency service providers are privately owned. In many cases municipalities sign contracts with private providers, with the municipalities subsidizing emergency services in return for the providers meeting certain requirements. In addition, physicians almost never travel to the sites of emergencies in the United States, leaving it to paramedics to bring the patient to the hospital.

In contrast, many European countries (including France and Germany) require that physicians travel to emergencies. France doesn't even have paramedics in the sense that the United States has, instead having teams led by a physician. Germany does have paramedics, but they are only allowed to treat a patient in the presence of a physician except in the event of sudden, life-threatening emergencies.

Since emergency medical services in the United States are largely run by a handful of national companies and some local ones, emergency treatment almost always results in medical bills. Even though many municipalities subsidize emergency medical services, there is nothing comparable to the socialized healthcare of France and Germany.

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Nonetheless, by finding affordable, high-quality health insurance, you can help reduce or avoid many of the bills associated with emergency treatment. To learn more about your Texas health insurance options, contact Option One Health Insurance today.