Become a Member

• Save you money! A membership takes place of any co-payments and deductibles that your insurance company may otherwise require you to pay.
• Help us to continue to protect you and your loved ones – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. GACAS provides both BLS (Basic Life Support) and ALS (Advanced Life Support).

• Help GACAS keep up with the ever-increasing costs of operational expenses and purchasing of equipment and sophisticated life-saving medical equipment.
• Tax-deductible

WHY SHOULD I BECOME A MEMBER?
Your membership helps ensure that GACAS will have the staff, vehicles and equipment required to provide around-the-clock protection for you and your family in the event of an emergency. In addition, your membership can save you hundreds of dollars!

DO I NEED A MEMBERSHIP IF I HAVE MEDICAL INSURANCE?
Yes. Most insurance companies do not pay 100% of total ambulance charges. Your membership covers any co-payments or medically necessary emergency ambulance services to the closest appropriate facility, regardless of your insurance coverage. Keep in mind that non-members are responsible for full payment of applicable charges, which often exceeds $1,500 per trip!

I’M A RESIDENT OF DOUGLASS TOWNSHIP. WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY A MEMBERSHIP FEE IN ADDITION TO THE EMS TAX?
Douglass Township recognizes that all EMS entities are struggling to survive, and GACAS is no exception. Due to the rising costs of operations, equipment, supplies, etc., GACAS needs financial assistance to stay operational. A GACAS membership is a separate fund drive and will ensure that you pay nothing out of pocket when utilizing ambulance services as prescribed in your membership agreement.

WHAT HAPPENS IF ANOTHER AMBULANCE COMES TO MY HOUSE THAT IS NOT GACAS?
We have reciprocity agreements with the immediate surrounding EMS agencies and we accept each other’s memberships. If you are somewhere out of the reciprocity agreement area and are transported by an ambulance, we would not be responsible for that transport.

HOW DOES GACAS DECIDE WHICH FACILITY TO TRANSPORT ME TO? DO I GET TO CHOOSE THE HOSPITAL?
All ambulance personnel will make every attempt to transport the patient to the hospital facility of their choice, as long as the hospital is located within a reasonable distance. However, depending on the type of call and/or severity of injury/illness, protocol and weather conditions may require personnel to transport the patient to a different hospital. We, as an EMS agency, follow the PA State EMS protocol 170 – A – 2b. Therefore, GACAS cannot guarantee you will be transported to the hospital of choice. The primary hospitals GACAS transport to are Pottstown Hospital, Phoenixville Hospital, Lehigh Valley Hospital and Reading Hospital.

HOW IS GACAS REIMBURSED IF I AM TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL?
In the event you need ambulance service, GACAS will submit a bill to your insurance company. Insurance payments are then applied to your balance. Once the insurance benefits of the member are exhausted, we write off the remaining balance. Members do not have to pay any out-of- pocket expenses for emergency ambulance services for the first two (2) patient calls.

HOW MANY AMBULANCE CALLS DOES MY MEMBERSHIP COVER?
Your 2025 membership will cover two (2) patient assist calls per member per year at no cost to the member. Once the two (2) calls are exhausted, the member will then be responsible for 100% of patient assist calls and 50% of transports for balances due after insurance reimbursement. GACAS reserves the right to cancel any memberships after 60 days of non-payment.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF MY INSURANCE COMPANY SENDS ME A CHECK FOR PAYMENT OF SERVICE BY GACAS?
All recipients of service are required to immediately forward all reimbursement received to GACAS. Failure to do so will result in the immediate termination of any membership agreement and you will be held responsible for payment of any outstanding balances.