Life Flight Costs

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What is an air ambulance?

What comes to mind when you hear the term "air ambulance"? An air ambulance is usually a fixed-wing aircraft or a helicopter, used to transfer injured, critical care or sick patients across large distances or out of isolated locations in a safe, comfortable, and timely manner. You'd never know it was different from any other aircraft from the exterior, except the insignia that identified it as such. All life flights offer a crucial service in getting a patient from point A to point B. We usually require transportation for vacations, work-related travel, or even for sheer enjoyment. However, when it comes to life flight, with companies such as Medical Air Service, the transport is lifesaving.

When we talk about air ambulances, we must also consider air ambulance services costs, also known as life flight costs. We know that most people right now will be seeking the answer to this question, how much does an air ambulance cost? But don’t worry, in this article, we will evaluate all the factors that constitute this fee and how Medical Air Service is the best air medical company in this regard.

Does insurance cover air ambulance costs?

Many people with employer-provided insurance, private travel insurance, or health insurance don't think twice about paying an ambulance cost because they believe the answer to the question, does insurance cover air ambulance is “yes”. Even if coverage is granted, due to deductibles and coinsurance provisions in health and travel insurance policies, you might wind up with a large fee for your medical flight.

Air ambulance transports aboard fixed-wing air ambulance aircraft may be covered by your travel insurance under the right circumstances. However, you should verify with your insurance provider to determine if air ambulance service is included in your coverage. Depending on your medical emergency, insurance companies may see fixed-wing air ambulance transports as a convenience rather than a necessity. Each instance is put through a "necessity and distance" examination. Simply defined, the "necessity test" asks, "Can the facility where the patient is presently receiving treatment offer appropriate care?" If the response is “yes”, the insurance company will not pay for the medical flight. When the response is "no," the distance test is used. The distance test identifies the closest institution that can offer sufficient treatment to the patient. The cost of transporting the patient to this institution will be covered by the insurance company. Typically, a facility that can offer the patient the appropriate treatment may be found reasonably near to the patient's current institution.

It is worth noting that under the right circumstances, travel insurance might cover the repatriation. However, Medical Air Service provides medical evacuation and repatriation services even if there is no insurance cover. In this case, the charge will have to be out-of-pocket.

Factors that impact medical repatriation costs:

To determine life flight cost, we must consider the following factors.

Distance to be covered by the air ambulance and the overall flight program

It will cost cheaper if an air medevac transports patients from a foreign nation to the nearest center of medical excellence. However, if the patient's family demands that he be sent to his native country for medical treatment, the expense will undoubtedly be higher. Medical Air Service provides medevac services all around the world at the most competitive rates.

Type of aircraft and requirements for any further advanced life support equipment

The type of ambulance aircraft required for a medical flight is determined by the patient's health, the number of persons accompanying them, and the equipment required. Flying after a stroke may necessitate a medical plane equipped with specialized medical equipment and physicians to ensure a safe return, while in other circumstances an air ambulance helicopter might be required.

Medical staff needed for the air transport

The air ambulance services cost is also affected by the medical crew that will accompany and provide medical care to a patient during the transport. Pilots, one doctor, and one nurse will usually be on board to provide immediate care during the flight.

Cost of clearance

Medical Air Service handles all of the paperwork required to obtain approval to fly from the other country's regulatory agencies. Our flight doctors assess themselves if a patient is fit to travel.

Clearance to travel to high-risk areas

If the patient is from a nation that is deemed a high-risk region or a conflict zone, obtaining authorization for emergency repatriation will be costly, increasing medical repatriation costs.

Airport landing charges

Airports impose landing and handling fees when patients are transferred using chartered planes, which affects the life flight cost. If the airport must be maintained open for the ambulance plane to land or take off, or for aircraft de-icing costs, additional fees may be levied. Medical Air Service has partnerships with not only major airports worldwide but also smaller ones throughout the world, allowing us to operate as a global air ambulance company, providing medical transport services in any location.

The cost of traveling by ground ambulance

A ground ambulance might be necessary to transport the patient to the medical center of their choosing once the plane lands at the destination airport. If needed, this extra expense will be included in the medevac flight package's total price.

Keeping in mind all these factors, we at Medical Air Service calculate how much an air ambulance costs. This is a very fair procedure and you may give us a call any time to request a free estimate and quote for your predicted cost of an air ambulance. This is completely free and our team is more than happy to advise you without requiring your commitment. We can answer all your questions about your repatriation and evacuation needs, such as the price of an airlift by helicopter.

Besides offering life-saving flight services to patients in both emergency and non-emergency situations, our aircraft are also medically equipped to transport COVID-19 positive cases.

Our international medical aviation evacuation staff have extensive experience. Our team speaks eleven different languages. Each member of the staff is dedicated to delivering an excellent air transport service for each individual while alleviating as much stress on the family as feasible. Our quality management is certified according to ISO 9001 standards, so you can trust our expertise and competence as an air ambulance provider.

We are proud of our staff and the amicable atmosphere that exists at our workplace. Our flexibility, as well as the fact that we provide a free, no-obligation quotation call, distinguishes us. If you want to contact us, please do so through phone, email, or our contact form, and let us introduce you to a world of convenience!

benefits of our air ambulances

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