Ambulance Services Industry Profile

The US ambulance services industry includes about 4,000 companies with combined annual revenue of about $11 billion. Major companies include AMR (American Medical Response, owned by Emergency Medical Services) and Rural/Metro Corporation. The industry is fragmented: the 50 largest companies generate about 45 percent of revenue.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Increases in immigration, birth rates, morbidity rates, and life expectancies, as well as emergency medical events, drive demand for ambulance services. The profitability of individual companies depends on quick and effective response and operational efficiency. Large companies have advantages of scale in contract negotiations, service capabilities, technology, and geographic coverage. Small companies can compete effectively by providing superior service in specific locales. The industry is labor-intensive: average annual revenue per worker is about $75,000.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

The industry's major service is medical transport of patients, which includes pre- and post-hospital medical transportation, emergency (911) and non-emergency transports, and air ambulance services. Emergency calls often require medical assistance, while non-emergency services include transportation for medically unstable patients and medical transfers between health care facilities.

Ambulance service companies respond to emergency calls by dispatching vehicles and personnel to attend to patients at their location and en route to a hospital. A dispatched ambulance usually has a driver with first-aid skills and may have a non-medical attendant, an emergency medical technician (EMT), or a more highly trained paramedic, who can administer life-saving procedures and medicine. Ambulance firms generally receive emergency calls ...