According to a recent report by Government Accountability Office, 69 percent of air ambulance flights are not covered by private insurance providers. That is more than two thirds of the air ambulances out there in the country. There are a total of about 20,700 medical flights in the United States of America to put a number to this fact. The median price that was charged by air ambulance companies when a helicopter was involved was about USD 36,400 in 2017. The price shot up to USD 40,600 when the need for medical transportation involved fixed-wing aircrafts in the same year. When the complaints pertaining to balance billing to Government Accountability Office were examined, it was seen that the balance billing amounts were at least USD 10,000.
Consider the Necessity of Air Ambulance Service Seriously
Unfortunately, air ambulance services are hardly a consideration when one opts for a private health insurance. The wise thing would be to ask the agent whether they cover air ambulance services. One needs to do this proactively. Moreover, one must specifically ask which of the air ambulance companies are in-network of the private health insurance provider. Once you come to know of the names, check whether these air ambulance companies offer service in your region specifically. There are a lot of regional medical flight companies in the United States of America. Avoid the off chance that the air ambulance companies covered by insurance do not serve your region.
Be Wise and Purchase Air Ambulance Memberships
Air ambulance memberships can be very cheap. The memberships are usually renewed annually. Find out the air ambulance companies in your region and check what kind of memberships they offer. Opt for a membership that covers your entire family. It would not be a bad idea to hold memberships with more than one air ambulance company. These memberships protect the end customers from balance billing. Another great idea is to suggest your employer to get group memberships for the staff of the company as this can get the price of memberships down significantly.
