Ambulance Service, Conventional Air Services, Transport, One Way (fixed Wing)
What Medicare pays for A0430, what providers bill, and how the price varies across 28 states, drawn from CMS 2023 claims data.
A0430 · the short answer
For ambulance service, conventional air services, transport, one way (fixed wing), Medicare pays about $4,030.75 while providers bill $27,266.42 on average, a 6.8× markup, an above-median markup. State-level Medicare rates range 39% from lowest to highest.
- Medicare pays
- $4,030.75
- Providers bill
- $27,266.42
- Markup
- 6.8×
- Markup percentile
- 63th
Medicare amounts are CMS-published; markup = average submitted charge ÷ average Medicare payment.
Price Range Across States
What You Might Pay
Estimated using RAND 2024 commercial-to-Medicare ratios. Actual prices vary by insurer, plan, and facility.
How we estimate these prices
These estimates are based on the RAND Hospital Price Transparency Study (4th Edition, 2024), which found that commercial insurance prices average 224% of Medicare rates nationally. We apply category-specific ratios: Ambulance Services procedures average 2.24x Medicare rates. Cash/self-pay estimates blend typical cash discounts (55% of billed charges) with Medicare-based estimates (150% of allowed amounts). These are statistical estimates, not quotes. Contact your insurer or provider for actual costs.
Where this markup sits nationally
Markup (billed ÷ Medicare) across 8,901 procedures with a meaningful Medicare rate
7 Among the most affordable more affordable than 63% of 8,901 procedures
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more procedures. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source CMS Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners · 2023
Prices by State
| State | Medicare Payment | Billed Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $4,406.07 | $29,790.43 |
| Alaska | $4,351.02 | $24,267.70 |
| Missouri | $4,293.04 | $22,610.56 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | $4,240.65 | $25,907.91 |
| Massachusetts | $4,226.39 | $21,376.36 |
| Montana | $4,199.33 | $17,060.05 |
| Colorado | $4,193.83 | $28,322.42 |
| Wyoming | $4,183.31 | $32,741.34 |
| California | $4,097.51 | $23,179.58 |
| Nebraska | $4,077.09 | $42,807.31 |
| South Dakota | $4,038.33 | $26,631.89 |
| Arizona | $4,035.54 | $25,936.13 |
| Michigan | $4,020.18 | $25,490.56 |
| Washington | $4,019.38 | $19,821.01 |
| New Mexico | $4,008.08 | $22,329.69 |
| Kansas | $3,993.27 | $38,762.59 |
| Utah | $3,986.18 | $22,321.63 |
| Florida | $3,908.23 | $22,500.00 |
| Minnesota | $3,877.44 | $25,506.44 |
| North Dakota | $3,827.97 | $18,219.69 |
| Oregon | $3,803.69 | $26,394.25 |
| Texas | $3,776.25 | $33,265.37 |
| Alabama | $3,754.97 | $40,798.48 |
| Maine | $3,637.50 | $11,900.18 |
| Oklahoma | $3,584.41 | $36,618.73 |
| South Carolina | $3,301.00 | $37,719.42 |
| Arkansas | $3,244.03 | $20,913.64 |
| Nevada | $3,179.80 | $25,217.93 |
What the Data Says About Ambulance Service, Conventional Air Services, Transport, One Way (fixed Wing)
Across 28 states with reporting providers, CPT code A0430 (Ambulance Service, Conventional Air Services, Transport, One Way (fixed Wing)) shows a national average Medicare payment of $4,030.75 against an average billed charge of $27,266.42. That gap, a 6.8x markup, or 576% above the Medicare allowed amount, is roughly in line with what most procedures show, chargemaster pricing that no major payer pays in full but that still anchors negotiations.
Ambulance Services procedures like this one saw 12.8K services billed to Medicare in 2023 by 109 distinct providers, serving 11.6K unique beneficiaries. State-level variation is significant: Nevada reports the lowest average payment at $3,179.80, while Hawaii reports the highest at $4,406.07. The 39% spread here is a moderate, fairly ordinary GPCI effect, local cost-of-practice adjustments nudging the allowed amount up or down without reshaping it.
Applying RAND 2024 commercial-to-Medicare ratios specific to the Ambulance Services category (2.24x), the estimated commercial insurance price lands near $11,342.61, with self-pay cash discounts commonly bringing the figure closer to $11,296.01. Within Ambulance Services, Ambulance Service, Conventional Air Services, Transport, One Way (fixed Wing) ranks #2 of 7 tracked procedures by national average Medicare payment.
What to do with this
If you may have ambulance service, conventional air services, transport, one way (fixed wing) done, these steps turn the numbers above into a real-world cost estimate.
- Request a Good Faith Estimate from your provider at least 3 business days before a scheduled procedure, under the No Surprises Act it is an enforceable written price.
- Compare ambulance service, conventional air services, transport, one way (fixed wing) costs in your state, Medicare rates vary by locality. Browse states
- Check a hospital’s published cash price, which is often far below the billed charge. Price transparency
- Understand why billed charges run several times the Medicare rate before you negotiate. Read the guide
Figures here are averages and estimates, not a quote. Confirm coverage and out-of-pocket costs with your insurer and provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Ambulance Service, Conventional Air Services, Transport, One Way (fixed Wing) cost?
Medicare's national average payment for Ambulance Service, Conventional Air Services, Transport, One Way (fixed Wing) (CPT A0430) is $4,030.75, with providers billing $27,266.42 on average; state rates run from $3,179.80 to $4,406.07, a meaningful but not extreme spread.
Why do providers charge more than Medicare pays?
Providers set their own chargemaster rates (billed charges), which are typically much higher than what any insurer pays. Medicare pays a fixed rate based on the procedure code and geographic location. The billed charge is relevant mainly for uninsured patients, who may face prices closer to the submitted charge.
How much does Ambulance Service, Conventional Air Services, Transport, One Way (fixed Wing) cost with insurance?
With commercial insurance, ambulance service, conventional air services, transport, one way (fixed wing) costs an estimated $11,342.61 on average (range: $7,939.83-$15,879.65), a moderate premium over Medicare's $4,030.75. Without insurance, the estimated cash price is $11,296.01.
Which state has the lowest cost for Ambulance Service, Conventional Air Services, Transport, One Way (fixed Wing)?
Nevada has the lowest average Medicare payment for Ambulance Service, Conventional Air Services, Transport, One Way (fixed Wing) at $3,179.80, while Hawaii has the highest at $4,406.07 - a meaningful $1,226.27 spread.
How many providers perform Ambulance Service, Conventional Air Services, Transport, One Way (fixed Wing)?
Ambulance Service, Conventional Air Services, Transport, One Way (fixed Wing) is comparatively uncommon: only 109 providers nationally billed Medicare for it in 2023, serving 11.6K beneficiaries via 12.8K total services.
What is the billed-to-Medicare markup for Ambulance Service, Conventional Air Services, Transport, One Way (fixed Wing)?
Providers bill 6.8x what Medicare pays for Ambulance Service, Conventional Air Services, Transport, One Way (fixed Wing) - an above-median markup at 576% above the Medicare rate.
Related Guides
Tips to reduce out-of-pocket costs
Your right to upfront pricing
How Medicare payments work
Decode charges and codes
Why bills exceed actual costs
Geographic pricing factors
Data from CMS Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners (2023).
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Every figure on PlainProcedure is rendered directly from CMS Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on CMS Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.