Show All Answers

1. Where is the closest ambulance to where I live?

If you have an emergency, we encourage you to call 911 from your home. We operate 8 ambulances that are strategically located throughout the county. Our ambulances are located in Jefferson, Commerce, Braselton, Nicholson, Plainview and South Jackson. We encourage you to call 911 if you have an emergency. If you come to one of the EMS stations by car, there is a possibility that ambulance may not be there, delaying care to you or your family member. To see a map of our stations, click HERE.

2. Can I come to the EMS station to have my blood pressure checked?

Yes! We encourage you to come by to have your blood pressure monitored. We offer blood pressure monitoring from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. seven days a week at each of the EMS stations.

3. What number do I call when I need an ambulance?

Dial 911 for any emergency inside Jackson County. Our communication operators are trained to direct the appropriate emergency resources to you. You can reach Jackson County Communications on their non-emergency line at 706-367-1911.

4. What hospitals do you take patients to?

Our service has a policy that we will transport patients to the facility of their choice providing the hospital chosen is within reasonable distance to the patient’s location and is capable of meeting the patient’s immediate needs. We transport patients to:
- Northridge Medical Center in Commerce
- Athens Regional Medical Center and Saint Mary's Hospital in Athens
- Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville
- Northeast Georgia Medical Center-Braselton in Braselton
- Northeast Georgia Medical Center-Barrow in Winder
- Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville
If the patient does not, cannot, or will not express a choice of hospitals, Paramedics shall transport the patient to the nearest hospital believed capable of meeting the patient’s immediate medical needs without regard to other factors, e.g. patient’s ability to pay, hospital charges, county, or city limits, etc. Appropriate patient care is the direct goal of Jackson County EMS. Often, Paramedics will encourage patients and their families to be transported directly to a facility that is capable of addressing their medical needs.

5. Why does a fire or rescue truck come to my house when I call for an ambulance?

Many medical and trauma related emergencies require additional resources. Depending on the nature of the emergency, rescue and fire departments in your community will respond to provide assistance to the ambulance crews. The rescue and fire departments also respond to all motor vehicle accidents in the county to provide additional manpower and vehicle extrication. There are also times that rescue or fire personnel will arrive at your home when you call for help in street clothes and in their personal vehicles. The majority of our fire and rescue departments are volunteer and their members respond from their home or work.

6. Does my health insurance cover being transported by ambulance?

In most cases, yes. However, this depends on the type of coverage that the patient has and whether the service is considered medically necessary by the patient’s insurance carrier. The amount that your insurance company may pay towards ambulance transportation will vary based on the insurance contract that you have with your insurance company. Insurance plans offer different levels of coverage or customary charges that the insurance company will pay towards the bill. This amount varies greatly from 100% of the fees charged to another amount the insurance company decides is usually and customary.

Each insurance company and, in some cases, each insurance policy may pay differently towards ambulance transportation. Medicare and Medicaid also cover ambulance transportation, however, they both have specific rules and guidelines regarding ambulance charges.

We encourage you to check with your insurance provider should you have specific questions pertaining to your coverage.

7. Who should I contact if I have a question about my bill?

Jackson County EMS contracts our ambulance billing with Digitech Computer, LLC. You can reach them by phone at 1-833-810-5005 or by email at JACKSON@PAYAMBULANCE.COM. To pay your bill online or to update your account with billing information click here.

For records requests from attorney offices, we utilize ChartSwap. Utilize account Jackson County EMS (B.O.C). 

8. How do I get a copy of my ambulance trip report?

All patient records are confidential and protected by various privacy laws. Jackson County has established a privacy and security policy to comply with these laws and to assure the integrity of your protected health information. All requests for copies of records must be made in person by the patient or the patient’s legal guardian. Only under a few exceptions, such as complying with a subpoena, can medical information be released without the consent of the patient. For more information and to request a copy of your ambulance records, please call 706-367-5202.

9. What is H.I.P.A.A.?

H.I.P.A.A. stands for the Health Insurance and Portability Accountability Act. H.I.P.A.A. is a federally mandated policy that basically states how we as an EMS service can use your personal health information. The only two entities that receive any medical information from Jackson County EMS is the receiving hospital and our billing service. We do not distribute any other information pertinent to our patients to any other person or entity.

10. How many calls did Jackson County EMS respond to in 2019?

Jackson County EMS responded to 8,791 emergency calls in 2019, which was an increase of 530 calls from 2018.