Virginia Beach Ambulance Fees Fund New Staff

The city generated $13.4 million in revenue last fiscal year to support EMS operations and volunteer rescue squads.

Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in Nursing Jobs

Isometric editorial illustration of a stylized ambulance on a flat, geometric urban surface, representing municipal funding for emergency services. — Virginia Beach collected $13.4 million in ambulance fee revenue during the 2025-26 fiscal year, funding 43 new staff members and seven emergency vehicles. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should local governments bill health insurance providers to fund emergency medical services in your community?

Virginia Beach collected $13.4 million in ambulance fee revenue during the 2025-26 fiscal year following the program's July 1, 2025, implementation. The funds have been used to hire 43 additional uniformed staff and acquire seven new ambulances.

Why it matters

The billing program provides essential support for the city's EMS department and 10 volunteer rescue squads, which were previously struggling with rising equipment costs.

The city billed $18.5 million for services, with $2.8 million in unpaid bills written off. Approximately 54% of patients served are covered by Medicare, while 86% of all transported individuals are local residents.

The players

Virginia Beach EMS Department

This department manages emergency medical services and oversees the distribution of funds to local rescue squads.

The details

The program covers basic care with hospital transport at a rate of $583, while ensuring residents incur no out-of-pocket costs, co-pays, or deductibles. Revenue from the billing, which targets patients' health insurance, is directed into a dedicated cost recovery fund.

The city implemented the ambulance billing program on July 1, 2025.
The department concluded its billing cycle for the fiscal year on June 30.

Market Landscape

This program reflects a broader trend of municipalities adopting insurance-based cost recovery models to sustain emergency medical services. By leveraging existing healthcare payment systems, the city aligns its public safety funding with wider shifts in healthcare financing.

Residents are protected from co-pays, deductibles, or any out-of-pocket expenses for ambulance transports. The city's reliance on insurance billing ensures that the cost of emergency care is largely covered by payers rather than direct taxpayer levies.

The takeaway

The implementation of an insurance-based billing model provides a sustainable financial mechanism for local emergency services without burdening residents. Communities facing rising operational costs may look to this model as a blueprint for balancing public safety needs with fiscal responsibility.