For $60 a year, Wake County EMS waives copays and deductibles on 911 ambulance rides for your whole household. New members can join for 2027 from Sunday, Nov. 1.

Wake County households can sign up for 2027 coverage under the county’s $60 ambulance subscription starting Sunday, Nov. 1. The plan waives the copay and deductible left after insurance on emergency 911 rides by Wake County EMS.

The county announced the enrollment period on Oct. 28 in a news release.

“In an emergency, where life is on the line, this program eliminates the worry about the cost of an ambulance,” said Safiyah Jackson, vice chair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners.

What $60 buys

One payment covers everyone who lives at the address, related or not, according to the county’s subscription page. That includes spouses, children, parents, grandparents and partners. The county’s terms and conditions add full-time college students up to age 26. Everyone covered must be listed on the application.

The subscription covers:

  • emergency 911 transports by Wake County EMS
  • from a location inside Wake County to the nearest appropriate hospital
  • as many times as needed during the year

It does not cover:

  • non-emergency transports
  • air ambulance transports
  • rides by any other ambulance provider

Coverage starts two days after the county accepts your payment and ends Dec. 31. Members are not renewed automatically. Current members get a renewal letter in the fall.

Who can join

You need health insurance. Medicare patients can enroll. Medicaid patients and people without insurance cannot, the county says.

The program is for Wake County residents. Wake Forest’s town limits reach into Franklin County, so check which county your address is in before you pay.

What an ambulance ride costs

Wake County EMS bills at flat rates set by the county commissioners, according to its user fee page. The rates in effect since Jan. 1, 2025, are:

Service Charge
Emergency transport, basic or advanced life support $1,449.22 plus $17.88 a loaded mile
Advanced life support treatment, no transport $200
Basic life support treatment, no transport $150

“Loaded miles” are the miles driven with the patient on board. At those rates, a 10-mile emergency transport is billed $1,628.02 before insurance pays its share.

The county says most insurers, including Medicare, do not cover the full bill. The subscription does not make a ride entirely free in every case. The terms say it waives copays and deductibles and covers “most” other balances insurance leaves unpaid. It is not an insurance policy, and the fee is not refundable.

Joining is optional. Wake County EMS responds to every 911 call whether or not the patient subscribes, the county says. All subscription money goes back into Wake EMS operations.

What it means for you

  • Sign up from Sunday, Nov. 1, for the 2027 year. Join online through the county’s billing portal with activation code WAKE, or call 844-239-6690.
  • Have ready: your home and mailing addresses, email, phone, the name and birth date of everyone in the household, and a credit card or checking account.
  • Already a member? Watch for the renewal letter. Your 2026 coverage ends Dec. 31.
  • On Medicaid or uninsured? The plan is not open to you.
  • Not sure which county you live in? Your property tax bill comes from the county your home is in. Our property taxes page explains the Wake and Franklin County bills, and the who to call at Town Hall page lists contacts.