Ambulance Malpractice Insurance

Ambulance providers deliver critical emergency and non-emergency medical transport by ground and air. From 911 calls and interfacility transfers to community events, these operations face unique liability exposures — from patient injuries during loading/unloading to aviation-related risks during flights.

Homewood Insurance helps ambulance operators secure tailored malpractice and liability coverage to protect patients, staff, vehicles, and facilities.

This page explains:

What Your Insurance Includes – coverage breakdown for Professional Liability and General Liability tailored to ambulance operations.
Cost of Insurance Coverage – typical premium ranges and the main factors that drive pricing.
Higher-Risk Exposures – services and procedures that elevate premiums or risk coverage denial.
Why Work With Homewood – how we help ambulance services secure the best protection.

Get a Free Quote Now

The fastest way to find the most suitable insurance coverage for your ambulance services is to fill out our quick quote form, so we can give you an idea of the type of insurance coverage that best suits you.

Homewood Insurance works with a number of different carriers to ensure you have the most suitable insurance coverage at the best price.

Ambulance Malpractice Insurance can include:

Professional Liability protection for patient care errors during transport.
Coverage for loading and unloading incidents, slips, falls, or stretcher mishaps.
General Liability protection for third-party bodily injury and property damage not tied to medical treatment.
Includes liability for visitors or vendors at stations, vehicle bays, or dispatch centers.
Optional umbrella and excess limits available for larger fleets or regional EMS systems.
Standard limits: $1M per occurrence / $3M aggregate.

What Your Insurance Includes

Insurance for Ambulance Services can include:

Malpractice or liability insurance can provide essential protection against these risks:

Professional Liability (Malpractice) Insurance

Covers errors in medical assessment, treatment decisions, or medication administration during transport.
Protects against claims of misdiagnosis or patient injury in emergency and non-emergency settings.
Automatically includes loading and unloading exposures (a frequent source of injury claims).
Coverage applies to employed paramedics, EMTs, nurses, and medical staff on board.
Optional extensions for Medical Directors, including oversight duties and direct patient care if needed.
International operations may be covered if claims are filed in the U.S., its territories, or Canada.

General Liability Insurance

Premises liability – injuries to visitors, donors, or vendors at ambulance stations, vehicle bays, or administrative offices.
Bystander injuries – coverage if a third party is hurt near a parked or operating ambulance.
Property damage to others – protection if equipment such as stretchers, oxygen tanks, or gurneys damages property.
Community events – liability for staff participation at health fairs, school visits, or public standby assignments.
Personal and advertising injury – protection against claims of defamation, copyright infringement, or misleading advertising.
Medical payments coverage – pays small claims quickly, regardless of fault, to help prevent disputes.

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How much does Insurance for Ambulance Services cost?

Premiums are influenced by specialty mix, litigation environment, facility size, and claims history. Carriers also evaluate risk management protocols such as credentialing, peer review, and informed consent.

Professional Liability (Malpractice) Insurance – Estimated Ranges

Small municipal or volunteer EMS provider: $5,000 – $15,000 per year
Mid-sized ambulance service with multiple vehicles and mixed emergency/non-emergency calls: $15,000 – $50,000 per year
Large fleets, regional EMS systems, or air ambulance operators: $50,000 – $150,000+ per year

Factors that influence cost include the number of transports per year, staff training and certification levels, the ratio of emergency to non-emergency calls, claims history, and whether operations include bariatric, critical care, or air transports.

General Liability Insurance – Estimated Ranges

Small single-station provider: $1,500 – $5,000 per year
Mid-sized ground ambulance service: $5,000 – $15,000 per year
Large or multi-site/air ambulance operators: $15,000 – $30,000+ per year

Premiums vary based on facility size, number of employees, visitor traffic, safety protocols, and whether event standby or community education is part of the operation.

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High-Risk Procedures and their Impact on your Premiums

Certain operations that Ambulance Services possibly engage can elevate premiums or may be excluded if carriers determine the risks exceed standard underwriting appetite.

Service / Procedure	Why It’s Higher Risk	Controls Required	Insurance Impact
Involuntary psychiatric transports	Risk of injury, restraint use, and civil rights violations	Specialized staff training, written protocols, contracts with facilities	Often excluded or heavily surcharged; carriers require zero-claim history
Air ambulance operations	Combines aviation risks with en-route patient care	FAA compliance, flight physician oversight, pilot training records	50–100% premium increase; refusal possible without oversight
Bariatric or critical care transports	Heavier patients and advanced interventions increase injury risk	Specialized stretchers, lift-assist devices, cardiac monitoring	30–75% premium increase; required protocols for safe handling
Special event standby	Crowd unpredictability, potential for mass-casualty events	Event-specific riders, volunteer vetting, hospital proximity plans	25–50% surcharge per event; exclusions possible without riders
Advanced invasive procedures	Procedures like surgical airways or central lines outside standard EMS	Highly trained staff; strong documentation; QA reviews	20–60% increase; some carriers exclude unless physician-led
Loading/unloading without protocols	Frequent slips/falls during transfers; wheelchair/stretcher mishaps	ADA-compliant equipment, staff training, written procedures	15–40% increase; claims common; mitigation reduces surcharges

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Other types of Insurance that Ambulance Services need

Homewood can often combine different types of coverage into one policy.

General Liability Insurance

General Liability covers medical expenses and attorney fees which result from bodily injuries and property damage that your facility or organization could be legally responsible for.

Professional Liability Insurance

Also known as malpractice insurance, this protects facilities against claims related to malpractice, negligence, or injury resulting from patient care. Staff members will typically be covered by professional liability insurance.

Sexual Abuse and Molestation Insurance

Provides coverage for your organization against claims arising from alleged sexual misconduct or molestation by an employee or other representative of your organization.

Commercial Property Insurance

This protects your facility against damage or loss to your buildings, equipment, and other property, which can happen as the result of various risks such as fire, theft, or vandalism.

Workers’ Compensation Insurance

Workers’ Compensation Insurance is usually mandated by law. It protects ambulance services and employees in case of work-related injuries or illnesses.

Cyber Liability Insurance

Covers you against financial losses associated with data breaches, cyber attacks, and other cyber incidents. Insurers will usually conduct rigorous testing of your online system to fix vulnerabilities as part of this policy.

Why Work With Homewood

With a wealth of experience and access to nearly 100 carriers, Homewood helps operators:

Secure malpractice and general liability coverage tailored to both emergency and non-emergency services.
Add umbrella or excess coverage to protect large fleets and regional systems.
Cover the entity, medical staff, and Medical Directors under coordinated policies.
Navigate underwriting requirements for aviation risks, bariatric services, and event standby.
Gain an advocate with deep experience negotiating with EMS specialty markets.
Proven ability to lower total insurance costs, through cross-carrier comparison and risk documentation.

Call 947-274-3093 or Fill Out the Form

Ralph Schiller

Ralph specializes in sourcing the most suitable insurance for Ambulance Services at the best price. You can call him or fill out the form and he will get your message directly.

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