Air ambulances are a “cash cow” and individuals who have unpaid bills for trips in helicopters and airplanes are now being “dogged” by debt collectors, according to a published report.
The cost for a ride in an air ambulance have tripled in some cases in recent years, and there are no standard or regulated rates for a ride in one, according to the report. There are more than 1,400 air ambulances flying today, caring for more than 500,000 patients in a given year, according to a trade group representing the carriers.
But what and who determines when an air ambulance is needed is causing some individuals to be saddled with tens of thousands of dollars in medical debts for a trip in a helicopter that may not have been needed. Only 15% of air ambulance trips involve an individual needing what is known as Level 1 trauma care. In most cases, air ambulances are being used to ferry patients from one hospital to another.
Some are placing the blame on the air ambulance companies for charging too much while others say that Medicare and Medicaid are not covering enough of the costs.
The report profiles a handful of families who were hit with bills of $30,000 or more for trips in an air ambulance. Some states are looking at regulations or laws to limit what an air ambulance can charge or making sure patients are notified of their transportation options before an air ambulance is summoned.
“I think air ambulances can run in a fair manner, but the way it is currently done seems unfair and unreasonable,” said one woman, who was hit with a $54,000 air ambulance bill even though she was not in a life threatening accident. “No one should feel shocked or panicked by a bill like this. No one ever.”
