#BringDianaJamesHome | Air Ambulances

What We Have learned About International Air Ambulance Services

Posted on July 17, 2023July 21, 2023 by Aaron

Our Experience

Air Ambulances from abroad to the US can vary in cost wildly depending on many variables, most importantly the medical status of the patient flying, specifically related to their needs. There are 2 primary approaches, commercial or private flights, that will fundamentally define the exorbitant cost, between $50K to $180K. US based health insurance will only cover flights within the United States. That is to say that the cost of flying into the US will be out-of-pocket, unless you have purchased special travel insurance, see our travel insurance post for more on them. Some insurance companies may cover the remaining flights within the US except for the deductible.

Our experience has been focused on Portugal, but we are sharing our experiences to help others that may fall into a similar circumstance. The US Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal provided no assistance and information of little value. We have been told to call them so many times, but the only response they give is a list of not vetted air ambulance companies and an offer for a possible low interest government loan. With persistence we are hoping to reach the ambassador, or somebody that can be more helpful. We have heard in many cases constantly reaching out can improve your chances with a US Embassy. We believe the only way the loans make sense is if your insurance will reimburse you for international air ambulances, which seems rare, if at all, or if you believe you can raise the funds to pay the loan over a longer period of time.

Below is a list of companies we have been in contact with. We are by no means recommending any of them, as we have not raised enough money to actually make use of their services. In the next posts we will speak more specifically to the pitfalls that you may encounter regarding these air ambulance flights. It is important to be very careful with any contract you sign with an air ambulance company. There is no international regulation, and that in the states is fairly new, they have had to introduce laws to protect consumers from their predatory practices. Some stories reveal them putting a lien on peoples homes over balance billing, though this may no longer occur with flights within the US, it certainly is still a possibility with international flights. While in the last decade the amount of companies engaging in this industry have doubled, due to lack of oversight the costs to the consumer have more than doubled.

Air ambulance insurance coverage for medical repatriation and evacuation

Posted on July 1, 2023July 19, 2023 by Aaron

Original Link | Air Medical Service Worldwide

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Medical Air Service is an internationally renowned air ambulance company that connects patients and health-care providers all over the world. In a critical medical condition, do you or a loved one require a timely and reliable transfer from one hospital to another across the globe?

Count on us for your medical flights! They are specially designed to relieve you of the stress of aeromedical repatriation and evacuation, and are coordinated by our teams of experienced medical personnel and flight attendants. However, does your health or travel insurance cover our services? While some policies do, gaps in coverage can leave you struggling to pay large bills. Here are a few of the most important highlights.

Is air ambulance covered by insurance?

Generally, standard medical insurance does not cover air ambulances
For your medical flight to be covered by insurance, you must have air ambulance coverage
Air ambulance coverage is, sometimes, included in travel insurance plans
Read your insurance policy carefully or ask your insurer about air ambulance coverage
Medical Air Service can organize your air ambulance flight, even if you do not have air ambulance coverage.

MEDICAL EVACUATION – State Department Guidelines for Embassies

Posted on November 2, 2022July 19, 2023 by Aaron

Original Link | U.S Department of State | Foreign Affairs Manual

*FAM (Foreign Affairs Manual), This document lays out the expectations and boundaries placed on US Embassies in relation to Air Ambulance flights for Medical Evacuation for US Citizens stuck abroad.

7 FAM 361 SUMMARY

7 FAM 361.1 Patient Stabilization

(CT:CON-120; 12-06-2005)

When a U.S. citizen/non-citizen national is ill or injured abroad, the patient or the family may desire to have the patient return home immediately. The U.S. embassy or consulate cannot make medical decisions about a patient. Local law determines who is entitled to make decisions about the patient. The attending physician in the host country also generally must make a determination that the patient is stable enough to travel. Airlines and air ambulance services usually will not transport a patient if the attending physician concludes the patient’s condition would be further harmed by the flight. Air carriers and air ambulance services may consult their own physicians to review documentation from the attending physician in the host country before undertaking to carry the patient. 7 FAM 390 provides guidance about disembarking, reception and resettlement in the United States.

Medicare Coverage of Ambulance Services

Posted on January 1, 2022July 19, 2023 by Aaron

This official government booklet explains:

When Medicare helps cover ambulance services
What you pay
What Medicare pays
What to do if Medicare doesn’t cover your ambulance service

Air Ambulance Use and Surprise Billing

Posted on September 10, 2021July 19, 2023 by Aaron

*This document examines Air Ambulance surprise costs and slightly touches on the reasons for the for-profit price hikes, however does not address international air ambulance flights, which appears to not be regulated by any means.

ASPE | Office of Health Policy

Available evidence suggests that air ambulance transport isincreasing. Recent
federal legislation and regulation address surprise billing and data gaps.

Gina Turrini, Joel Ruhter, Andre R. Chappel, and Nancy De Lew

KEY POINTS

Air ambulances are typically used to transport patients from the scene of an injury or anaccident
to hospitals, or between hospitals, particularly in criticalsituations when the time to treatment is
urgent or when patients cannot safely travel by ground ambulance transportation.
While the number of air ambulance transportsis low – roughly 1 per 4,000 privately insured
people per year and 1 in 350 Medicare beneficiaries – available evidence suggests there has been
an increase in bases (where aircraft are stationed, typically airports or helipads) and
providers/suppliers* (particularly independently owned and operated companies) in recent years and a shift towards for-profit entities.
Patients typically do not have a choice in air ambulance providers, and providers often do not
inquire about insurance, leading to the potential for large out-of-pocket costs for privately insured
or uninsured patients. Air ambulance providers are not allowed to send balance bills (when an
out-of-network provider bills an individual for the difference between the billed charge and the
amount paid by their plan or insurance) to Medicaid or Medicare patients but privately insured
individuals do not have the same protections against balance bills for air ambulance transports.
A Government AccountabilityOffice Report found that in 2017 the median price charged for a
rotary wing (e.g., helicopter) ambulance transport was $36,400 versus $40,600 for a fixed-wing
(e.g., airplane) ambulance transport. The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 prevents states from
regulating prices charged by air carriers(which includes air ambulance transport).
The No Surprises Act, a component of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, addresses
surprise air ambulance bills, effective January 1, 2022. Privately insured patients will pay only the
deductibles and copayment amounts that they would have paid for in-network air ambulance
providers, and balance billing will not be allowed.
Information has been limited on air ambulances and their charges. The No Surprises Act
addresses this issue by requiring reporting by air ambulance companies and health plans on cost,
quality and other data to the Departments of Transportation and Health and Human Services.

Stop outrageous air ambulance bills by disclosing the transport price

Posted on January 8, 2019July 19, 2023 by Aaron

*An opinion piece examining surprise costs of balance billing and the problems with surprise costs in the US, written prior to the No-Surprises Act in 2022, We haven’t found much useful information on the efficacy of the No-Surprises act as it is so new and the industry has been so opaque for so long. It is important to note that this does not seem to impact international air ambulance flights to the US, solely those within the US. Medicare does seem willing to cover the US portions of Diana’s Air Ambulance with a deductible.

Original Link | STAT | By Kevin Schulman, Barak Richman and Arnold Milstein

Although so-called surprise medical bills have become commonplace and routinely provoke outrage, even those numb to the staggering charges by hospitals are horrified by the avarice of many air ambulance companies.

Generating bills that can exceed $500,000, air ambulances are the giant squid of surprise bills that suffocate unsuspecting patients. One air ambulance bill sought $54,727 from a Bismarck, N.D., woman for a transport that would have taken less than one hour by ground, even after a ground ambulance had already arrived at the scene and had stabilized her. Her insurance paid for less than $14,000, leaving her with a $41,029 bill.

These staggering charges are caused by a confluence of market failures. First, as with all surprise bills, the price is hidden. When patients can’t shop for less-expensive alternatives, they are stuck with inflated prices. But hiding prices — and then allowing providers to charge outrageous amounts after service is provided — also fuels excessive supply, since many providers are eager to capitalize on the inflated profits.

Economists have long focused on the concept of moral hazard, in which demand increases because insurance pays for a large portion of the bill. The story of air ambulance bills illustrates the impact of moral hazard on suppliers, where both price and quantity of services are artificially inflated.

UNDERSTANDING AIR AMBULANCE INSURANCE

Posted on November 4, 2014July 19, 2023 by Aaron

Original Link | NAIC | National Association of Insurance Commissioners

Minutes matter after an accident, heart attack, stroke or other major medical emergency. Air ambulances, also known as medevac services, quickly transport a patient to a medical facility. While some health insurance policies provide coverage for this service, coverage gaps can leave patients struggling to pay large bills. Here are the basics of what you should know about air ambulances from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).

Our Experience

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