In the health care industry, the term "call hopping" is used to refer to private ambulance services that wade through emergency calls in hopes of hooking customers. In a sense, they are literally jumping into calls for ambulances and emergency medical assistance. This practice is frowned upon in many areas, but it persists, especially in the United States, where health care costs are extremely high and many community ambulance services are stressed and overburdened, making it easier for private competitors to operate.
Call jumping can work in several ways. This is usually a private, for-profit ambulance service. A service employee may listen to police scanners to gather information about accidents and other situations where an ambulance may be called, then dispatch an ambulance to the site in hopes of hitting the hospital or community ambulance. Call hopping can also occur in emergency rooms, with staff struggling with the official ambulance service to transport patients when transports are ordered.
For patients, hopping calls can result in a costly bill, because for-profit services tend to be more expensive than community-run services. Sometimes insurance companies will object to using a private ambulance service, so even patients with insurance can face an ugly bill. Call hopping can also be dangerous for patients, as an argument over territory can waste time, meaning patients receive care more slowly.
In many communities, call hopping is also considered a public safety hazard. Every time an ambulance hits the road with lights on and siren blaring, it represents a safety risk as the ambulance must travel at high speeds to reach patients, trusting the community to comply with traffic laws and give way to the ambulance. In general, the disruption of traffic and the potential risk of accidents is an acceptable risk in the interest of the patient in need, but when rival ambulances race to the same site it increases the risk significantly.
Many private ambulance services specifically state that they discourage call hopping and will fire employees for this practice. However, this is not always the case; Ambulance transportation is big business, and private companies know they can make a lot of money by skipping calls on occasion. Community-run services have also protested the practice, arguing that it threatens public safety and is a distraction. Call hopping can also create a resource bottleneck, with multiple ambulances moving to the same site, while other areas may be left uncovered.