(April 2026) – We all know the rule: in a real emergency, you call 911. Whether it's a bad fall, a wreck or someone clutching their chest, the message has been clear for years: get help fast. Yet increasingly, Americans are pausing before they dial. Not because they don't need help, but because they're afraid of the bill that might follow.
Every year, the United States records more than 150 million emergency department visits, underscoring how often Americans face urgent, sometimes life-threatening situations requiring immediate care. Yet only 54.1 million emergency responses are initiated each year, and nearly a quarter of Americans choose not to call 911 because of potential costs.
Ambulance rides in the U.S. can cost anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars. For many, that price tag is enough to delay or even avoid calling for help, even in a medical emergency when immediate transport to a hospital is needed. As emergency medical services become entangled in America's broader crisis of health care affordability, financial fear has become a silent but powerful force shaping who receives timely care and who doesn't. Over time, these individual decisions ripple outward, deepening health inequities, driving up long-term health care costs, reducing workforce productivity and placing growing economic strain on families, communities and public systems.
Many Kansas hospital employers have begun offering MASA MTS as an optional benefit for their employees. MASA provides payment coverage for all emergent ground and air ambulance services. To learn more about how MASA can benefit you, please contact David Dye at (931) 912-9008 or ddye@masamts.com.