Enrollment for UT Health East Texas EMS membership is open. Annual membership is $60 and covers all qualified household members. 

“The average cost of an ambulance transport is $750 and most insurance, including Medicare, will not cover the full amount of an ambulance bill,” said Jimmy Zednick, UT Health East Texas EMS director of operations.

For those with insurance, UT Health East Texas EMS membership includes full coverage of billed emergency transport charges and medically necessary non-emergency transportation to or from a hospital or nursing home, including coinsurance and deductibles. 

“Participating in the program protects insured members from costly out-of-pocket expenses because it prepays any portion of the ambulance charges not covered by insurance or Medicare, as long as it is deemed medically necessary by their insurance,” said Zednick.

UT Health East Texas EMS membership for those without insurance provides 50 percent coverage of billed emergency transport charges. 

“Membership coverage is for all qualified members of a household, which means you, your spouse and your dependent children living in your residence who are younger than 21, or 25 if in college,” said Zednick.

UT Health East Texas EMS covers most of Smith and Cherokee counties, all of Henderson County and portions of Wood County and the City of Henderson. UT Health East Texas EMS membership includes only ground transports in the UT Health East Texas EMS service area.

For more information or to enroll, call 1-800-642-JOIN (5646), or visit online at uthealtheasttexas.com/EMSmembership.