Ambulance and light-duty vehicle (SVC)
Verified 11 October 2018 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
Any private health transport company must hold a prefectural license and may sign an agreement with the health insurance fund. Transport fares can take several forms (package, short trip valuation, price per kilometer). The crew on board must also meet certain conditions.
Health transport shall include:
- professionalized seated transport: conventional taxi or light sanitary vehicle (LSV);
- the ambulance and the emergency and care ambulance (ASSU).
Only an ambulance or an ASU can intervene for emergency transport.
The VSL is reserved for the medical transport of up to 3 patients in a sitting position. It can be used for the transport of labile blood products (products derived from a donor's blood, intended to be transfused to a patient) and can carry at the same time 1 patient and the labile blood products intended for him.
The choice of mode of transport must be prescribed by the doctor according to the patient's condition: sitting or lying down, monitoring or administering oxygen for example.

In addition to special warning devices and lamps, approved vehicles shall display distinctive insignia, in particular:
- a regular 6-pointed cross;
- the commercial name of the health transport activity;
- or the name of the natural or legal person holding the authorization.
Warning
a technical inspection must be carried out 1 year after the first entry into service (or at the time of the change of assignment of the vehicle) and must be renewed every year..
The crew on board an ambulance, an ASU or a VSL must meet certain conditions of qualification and professional competence:
Ambulance and ASSU | Sanitary transport vehicle (SVC) | |
---|---|---|
Number of persons on board | 2 (full-time) | 1 |
Qualification/diploma |
|
|
Driving license | Driving license B over 3 years (2 years for those who have completed an early learning of driving) | |
Vaccines required | Hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, poliomyelitis | |
Professional dress | White and/or blue color activity-specific behavior and changes Port not allowed outside the activity |
An ambulance driver must drive an ambulance exclusively (not a VSL).
The crew shall comply with safety instructions, including:
- the passing facilities: use special warning devices (lights and sirens) in emergencies;
- priority: specific warnings;
- the number of persons carried: not exceed the number of seats;
- the stretcher: at least 2 quick-opening restraining straps, allowing care.
FYI
any employment of an employee by a health transport undertaking (ETS) must be reported to the Regional Health Agency (ARS: titleContent).
Before being able to carry on business, the sanitary transport undertaking (ETS) must:
- request approval of the ARS: titleContent to the territorial delegation of the Regional Health Agency (DTARS) at least 1 month before the project to set up or take over a health transport undertaking;
- register withUrssaf: titleContent..
The Contractor must specify the categories of transport requested and accompany the Request with documents, including:
- the bulletin no. 3 of the criminal record less than 3 months;
- a declaration of honor that the physical installations meet the required standards;
- a photocopy of the commercial lease or deed of sale.
The granting of approval shall be subject to the following conditions:
- have at least 2 vehicles, including an ambulance or an ASU;
- have a vehicle crew that complies with: trained personnel (e.g. ambulance, firefighter).
Approval shall be granted only to vehicles with a prioritized authorization for placing in service (e.g. public needs and local competition).
The lack of response from theARS: titleContent the application for approval for 4 months shall be deemed to have been rejected.
The undertaking must also have suitable premises for:
- the reception of patients or their families;
- disinfection and maintenance of vehicles;
- hardware maintenance.
Please note
in the event of a change concerning vehicles or personnel, the person in charge must immediately notify theARS: titleContent..
A company that carries out prescribed health transports in the context of medical care or examinations can sign an agreement with the primary health insurance fund, which sets out the rates and conditions for taking care of them. Without this prior agreement, no reimbursement to the social insured or any exemption from advance costs can be made.
The undertaking must notify in writing:
- his refusal to sign the Convention; or
- or its accession to the Convention (accompanied by Urssaf attestation indicating that it is up-to-date in the payment of employee and employer contributions).
Failure to reply within 1 month shall constitute a refusal to accede to the Convention.
In order to maintain the agreement, the company must send, each year, during the second quarter, the Urssaf certificate.
It is also possible to stop membership. In the event of a change of situation, a period of 1 month is necessary to amend the accession to the Convention.
The trader can consult all information about his activity on his account Ameli.
Pricing of sanitary transport exists in several forms: package, short trip valuation, price per kilometer.
The amount varies depending on whether the transport is a light sanitary vehicle (LSV) or ambulance ..
In the departmental package, the tariff applicable to each sanitary transport undertaking (ETS) is that of the department where the company's headquarters are located (classification of departments in zones A, B, C and D), including when traveling to another department.
Ambulance | VSL | |
---|---|---|
Departmental Package | €51.30 | Area A: €13.85 Area B: €13.45 Area C: €12.60 Area D: €11.97 |
Agglomeration Package | €57.37 | x |
Support | €64.30 | €15.58 |
Mileage | €2.19 | €0.89 |
Short trip recovery ≤ 5 km traveled | €7 | x |
Short trip recovery > 5 and ≤ 10 km traveled | €5.50 | x |
Short trip recovery > 10 and ≤ 15 km driven | €4 | x |
Short trip recovery > 15 and ≤ 19 km driven | €2.50 | x |
Short trip recovery ≤ 7 km traveled | x | €6.26 |
Short trip recovery > 7 and ≤ 8 km traveled | x | €6.05 |
Short trip recovery > 8 and ≤ 9 km traveled | x | €5.53 |
Short trip recovery > 9 and ≤ 10 km traveled | x | €5 |
Short trip recovery > 10 and ≤ 11 km driven | x | €4.48 |
Short trip recovery > 11 and ≤ 12 km driven | x | €3.96 |
Short trip recovery > 12 and ≤ 13 km driven | x | €3.44 |
Short trip recovery > 13 and ≤ 14 km driven | x | €2.92 |
Short trip recovery > 14 and ≤ 15 km driven | x | €2.40 |
Short trip recovery > 15 and ≤ 16 km driven | x | €1.88 |
Short trip recovery > 16 and ≤ 17 km driven | x | €1.36 |
Short trip recovery > 17 and ≤ 18 km driven | x | €0.83 |
The takeover is applicable in all the communes of Val-de-Marne, Seine-Saint-Denis, Hauts-de-Seine and only in some communes of the other departments of the Paris region (Essonne, Val-d'Oise, Yvelines).
The kilometric rate covers the distance between the departure and the place of arrival, less the first 3 km included in the departmental package (or from the 1st km covered in case of the charge).
The short journey valuation is a function of the distance traveled and applies, degressive, up to the 18th km.
Increases are provided at night, on Sundays and on public holidays.
The billing may be made in direct payment by the patient or by a third party paying.
The reimbursement of costs by Medicare may be partially or 100%. A medical deductible applies: €2 per journey with a daily ceiling of €4 per day.
FYI
Approved ETS must participate in the departmental guard , during which they are required to provide the transport requested by the Samu (Saturday, Sunday, public holidays, night from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.). There is a childcare allowance and a specific fee.
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Speak with an advisor on Place des Entreprises- Social Security Code: Articles L322-5 to L322-5-4
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- Public Health Code: Articles R6312-1 to R6312-15Approval: conditions of issue
- Public Health Code: items R6312-16 to R6312-23Obligations of authorized carriers
- Public Health Code: R6312-29 to R6312-43Authorization for commissioning
- Decision of 25 June 2001 on technical inspections of vehicles engaged in health transport
- National Convention on Private Health Carriers
- Circular No. DGOS/R2/DSS/1A/CNAMTS/2013/262 of 27 June 2013 on the guide for the management of patient transport costs (PDF - 324.7 KB)
- Amelipro account for healthcare professionals
Online service
- Urssaf account online
Online service
- Reimbursement of transport costs by health insuranceService-Public.fr
- National Convention on Private Health CarriersNational Health Insurance Fund (Cnam)
- Ambulances: conventional ratesNational Health Insurance Fund (Cnam)
- VSL: conventional ratesNational Health Insurance Fund (Cnam)
- Billing methods for health transport costsNational Health Insurance Fund (Cnam)
- Sanitary transport: support conditions (PDF - 42.6 KB)National Health Insurance Fund (Cnam)
- Departmental Guard: proceduresNational Health Insurance Fund (Cnam)
- Health transport - RegulationBpifrance