FDNY to Increase Ambulance Costs in New York City

The FDNY is proposing a 29% increase in the cost of ambulance rides and a 42% jump for on-site emergency treatment, citing budget pressures and expired labor contracts as driving factors behind the fee hikes.

The price for a basic life support ambulance ride to the hospital would rise from $1,385 to $1,793, while treatment in place — where medical aid is provided at the scene — would increase from $630 to $896 under the proposed changes.

Queens City Councilwoman Joann Ariola, chair of the Fire and Emergency Management Committee, said the cost increase would ultimately fall on consumers through higher insurance premiums, questioning whether Medicare would cover the added expenses for elderly patients who frequently use ambulance services.

Ariola attributed the proposed fee hikes to Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s preliminary budget, which requires all city agencies to implement savings measures described as “the most aggressive savings we can pursue without impacting essential services of city government.”

The FDNY acknowledged that the fee increases are tied to ongoing cost pressures and the lack of a labor contract for paramedics and EMTs, who have been working without one since 2022, stating that adjusting rates would help offset expenses currently borne by city taxpayers.

Union representatives criticized the situation, with Oren Barzilay of the EMS workers union calling it “disgraceful” to live on $39,000 in New York City, and Vincent Variale of the EMS service officers union saying it is “insulting” to the workforce and endangers public safety due to staffing shortages linked to low pay.

The proposed higher prices could take effect on July 1, 2026, if no changes are made to the mayor’s preliminary budget before that date.