Cleveland, Oklahoma, utility customers will see their monthly ambulance fee double starting in 2027, after the city council approved amendments to the city's ambulance service ordinance that raise charges for residential, commercial and industrial accounts from $5 to $10 per billing cycle. The increase takes effect January 1, 2027, and comes alongside a new subscription option for rural residents who live outside the city's utility system.
What Utility Customers Will Pay
The fee hike, detailed by KOKI FOX 23, also affects multi-family properties that share a master meter. Those properties will be charged $10 per month for each family unit, also beginning January 1, 2027, under the same council-approved changes. The city provides ambulance services to Cleveland and the surrounding rural areas, according to the city's announcement reported by the station.
Cleveland contracts with Mercy Regional of Oklahoma to provide emergency medical services, and Mercy also handles EMS billing, according to the City of Cleveland, Oklahoma. Residents with billing questions can contact the city's Fire Department at (918) 358-3112, the city says.
New Subscription Option for Rural Residents
Rural Pawnee County residents who live on or east of State Highway 99 and are not billed through a Cleveland utility account may begin voluntarily enrolling in the city's ambulance subscription program on January 1, 2027. The subscription will cost $15 per month from January through June 2027, totaling $90, then shift to a flat annual fee of $180 starting July 1, 2027, according to the station's report. The coverage year runs from July 1 through June 30, with payment due by July 10 each year.
The subscription is designed to cover eligible residents whose primary residence is the enrolled address, extending to qualifying ambulance calls either at that residence or at another location within the designated geographic area. The city has said more information about enrollment in the rural subscription program will be released soon, per the same account.
What Happens Without Coverage
For rural residences without an active subscription, or for calls that don't qualify for subscription coverage, the reported ambulance service charge is $800 per qualifying call. The city says this charge applies specifically when ambulance service is provided, the recipient does not refuse medical treatment, and the recipient is treated by ambulance. That fee is separate from any charges assessed by the ambulance service provider itself.
How Nearby Cities Handle Ambulance Subscriptions
Cleveland's new rural option echoes programs already running in other Oklahoma communities, though the available evidence doesn't point to a broader statewide trend. In Owasso, residents who don't already pay for ambulance service through their utility bill can enroll in a subscription that covers the subscriber and all household members for emergency ambulance service as often as needed during the year, according to the City of Owasso. Owasso's annual rates range from $24 for residents 65 and older inside city limits to $84 for residents under 65 living outside city limits, and since January 2025, apartment complexes within Owasso city limits have paid for subscriptions covering their residents directly, meaning tenants don't need to enroll individually. Owasso also notes that subscribers are billed through their insurance providers, while non-subscribers are responsible for the full cost of service regardless of coverage.
Oklahoma City runs a similar model called EMSAcare, which adds a $3.65 monthly charge to water bills to cover household out-of-pocket ambulance costs, with residents able to opt in or out during September, according to the City of Oklahoma City.
