air ambulance

The senior snowbird season is coming to a close as temperatures rise in the southern states. Many elderly nursing home patients  who need medical attention throughout the trip home are finding the cost of an air ambulance flight prohibitive.  Options include going ground ambulance , a riding in a van which is still a rough ride on a stretcher or going in a medically dconfigured  motorhome.  Traveling 18- 22 hours from Florida to New jersey is a long time and comfort becomes a high priority.  MedCaoch provides a hospital-type bed with a meemory foam mattress, bedrails,  head elevation features and  a therapeutic constant air-flow mattress. The cost is about half the cost of an air ambulance flight. Something to think about.

With the fast approach of the holidays, we tend to look back over the year(s) and wish that we had spent more time with an elderly parent or friend. Memories of passing the time sharing stories, playing games, and yes, the family recipe for apple pie. But these day, we are all too busy to travel, and many are not able to travel due to health reasons. Some families are determining to make the most of their time left together by moving a family member closer to them. Sometimes the reason is for better care, and sometimes the reason is just to have their loved one closer for more frequent visits. MEDTransport Center offers a means of making those wishes come true. By ground, we offer safe, comfortable, and affordable travel in our motorhomes, which have been converted for medical transportation. With a nurse as a companion during the travel time, the family and their loved one, can rest, relax, and anticipate their reunion with confidence knowing that they are getting the best possible care. For more critical clients, air ambulance is by far the fastest and offers the most intensive care for seriously ill patients. There is no place like home for the holidays, and bringing  families together is most rewarding for all involved.

A word about Medicare reimbursement for medical transportation

In most cases Medicare will not reimburse for non-emergency transportation. They will only pay for a medically necessary transport to the closest medical facility,  usually in an emergent situation. The need for a stretcher does not constitute a medical necessity. It is fraudulent for an ambulance service to file for Medicare in a non-emergency setting and claim that they performed a procedure on a patient that they did not do.

If you seek reimbusement, be sure to file a request before the transport and be prepared to defend your request proving the air or ground transport is medically necessary with letters from the transferring and receiving physician

The comfort factor: One of the most frequently asked questions we receive in the transport center is ”How comfortable is the ride?” 

Many patients / clients  who do not like to fly or cannot fly must travel by ambulance or an extended van.  An Ambulance, A Limo, a shuttle van, an SUV an RV does not provide the same ride as a Motor Coach. The motor coach is built on a special chassis with a very long wheelbase (316”)  which gives the same smooth ride as a tour bus. Coaches are made to provide comfort for long distance trips and are not like an ambulance or van, which is for short distances.  Coaches have independent front suspension that gives a more stable ride and eight air bags that cushion the bumps to provide the smoothest possible ride. At twice the weight of an RV and four times the weight of an ambulance, the motor coach smoothes out the roughness of the road.  Ambulances are many SUV’s are built on a truck chassis with no air suspension system and thus have a”hard” ride.   

The medical coach is specially designed for the client traveling long distance, which means they must have a smooth ride, a hospital-type bed with bed rails that allows the client to sit up or recline.  The aisle must be wide enough for a stretcher to on and off-load the client. A full size bed with a special hospital mattress for bedsores instead of a hard metal stretcher with a 3-inch pad on an ambulance adds to the comfort of the trip. Clients can sit up in bed and watch the scenery out of a large bay window vs. looking out the back of an ambulance or van lying on a stretcher.  The on-onboard private bathroom is more comfortable and more accessable than getting out of an ambulance or van to use a public restroom. Other important amenities on a long cross-country trip are a TV with the option to watch movies on a CD player.  A microwave and refrigerator makes for hot and cold drinks, fresh foods, and snacks. An added benefit is to have a relative ride along with you which is not possible in back of an ambulance and most extended vans do not have room for a comfortable recliner seat. The coordinators describe the MedCoach as just like being at home but you are in a “home on wheels”. So, how’s the ride? “The smoothest we can make it”. Soother and more comfortable than any other way to travel by ground. Coaches are made for comfort.

More than 50% of the cost of transporting a client / patient whether by air or by ground is fuel. Most vehicles whether air ambulance jets, helicopters or long distance ground ambulances use diesel fuel. With diesel fuel prices roughly 70 cents higher than gasoline (now $ 4.50 per gallon) the cost to the industry and eventually the consumer is even higher. Diesel engines are more efficient but the cost of diesel fuel today exceeds the efficiency savings of the diesel engine.

Since the cost fuel has doubled over the past few years fewer people are able to afford an air ambulance flight. To the high cost of fuel add the struggling economy, the high credit card debt and still fewer people have cash or can put $ 15,000-28,000.00 on their credit card.

One alternative is to transfer the client by ground if the client is stable and cleared for the long distance medical transport. Long distance medical transports (more than 500 miles) become cost effective and are quite comfortable if one rides in a large coach with an air cushion ride. Compared to air ambulance, long distance medical ground transportation is about half the cost of a Lear jet air medical transport. Of course, non-emergency ground transportation is not an option for ICU or CCU patients or for patients who may become unstable. Nor is a long distance ground transport appropriate for any person having or requiring an IV.

On the surface, air ambulance companies may appear to be the same and, as a result, you may be inclined to make your medical flight selection based primarily on availability and/or cost. For those of us in the medical field, especially those with experience in the air ambulance business, it is readily apparent that not all air ambulance companies are comparable. So without experience, how can you recognize these differences?

Consider your own experiences with medical professionals and it’s likely that you’ll recall some of them whom you preferred over others. Why? Were they more compassionate? Did they take a special interest in you? Maybe they were a little more adept at inserting those needles or they simply took a moment to fluff your pillow. Isn’t it interesting that most of us evaluate our level of medical care on the personal attention – the “bedside manner” – we experience?

Although the medical care and personal safety of patients is very serious, all air ambulance flight team members – from flight nurses to flight surgeons – should be trained to recognize and respond to the most intimate of human emotions. Compassion. Kindness. Respect.

The Air Ambulance company should be fully licensed, insured, and nationally accredited. They should also boast a highly-trained medical crew and a safety- and service-oriented flight crew. They should have the most advanced Medical Flight equipment and medical tools available to ensure the effective medical care.

When considering these options, we invite you to look at Air Ambulance by Air MD. Our company has a history of caring and performing above expectations.