Virginia Beach's ambulance billing has paid $4.2 million to volunteer rescue squads and added seven ambulances, EMS Chief Jason Stroud told City Council Tuesday.
Virginia Beach’s ambulance billing program has paid $4.2 million to the city’s volunteer rescue squads since it began in July 2025. That is the squads’ 30% share of all the money the program has collected.
EMS Chief Jason Stroud gave City Council the first full account of the program on Tuesday, Oct. 20. The city published a summary in a post on its website.
Under the program, Virginia Beach EMS bills a patient’s health insurance for an ambulance ride. Residents owe nothing beyond what their insurer pays.
What the money has paid for
The city said every dollar the program collects goes back into emergency medical services. So far it has paid for:
- Seven more ambulances and several support vehicles, and paying off ambulance loans from earlier years
- More ambulance staff, plus uniforms and protective equipment
- Paramedic training for 23 emergency medical technicians and advanced EMTs, both career and volunteer
- New equipment, including IV pumps, ventilators and point-of-care ultrasound devices
- Support staff: a training specialist, a department pharmacist and a pharmacy technician
- A wellness program for providers, including a mental health app
The squads’ share also covers incentives for staffing special events and support for the Virginia Beach Rescue Council, which represents the volunteer squads.
The city’s summary did not give the program’s total revenue. A feasibility study by AP Triton estimated it would bring in $14,749,189, according to the Virginia Beach EMS billing page.
Why the city started billing
Before the program, the city said its EMS system was under financial strain. In a 2025 question-and-answer post, it said volunteer rescue squad expenses had risen more than 40% in three to four years. The EMS operating budget had more than doubled in five years, and the number of active volunteers had fallen since 2019.
The city called billing insurers “the best path to avoid any tax increase” for residents. The council gave the program final approval in May 2025, and billing began July 1, 2025.
What it costs, and who pays
Virginia Beach EMS charges insurers these fees, according to its schedule of service fees:
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Advanced life support, no transport | $200 |
| Basic life support, with transport | $583 |
| Advanced life support, with transport | $701 |
| Advanced life support level 2, with transport | $997 |
| Transport mileage | $13 a mile |
What it means for you
- If you live in Virginia Beach: the city accepts your insurer’s payment as payment in full. It waives your copay and deductible, so you pay nothing for the ride.
- If you have no insurance: you get a statement with a hardship waiver form.
- If you live elsewhere: you are billed for any copay or deductible left after your insurer pays.
- Nobody is turned away. The city said billing is never a factor in patient care.
The crew may ask for your insurance card if your condition is stable. If not, the billing company, Digitech, gets it from the hospital or mails you a request. Questions about a bill go to vbems.payambulance.com or 1-888-290-5789.
For how emergency calls are recorded in the city, see our Police and Fire log.
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