Air Ambulance Cost - Buyer Experiences and Price Information

I was in an auto accident in Fredericksburg va. I had an open book pelvic fracture which mary washington hospital said they couldnt do the prosedure so they said i had to be helivacd to vcu hospital in richmond va to get the surgery. If i knew it was going to cost 41k i would of told them to send me in an ambulance.

One hospital told me I had to go to the other hospital (5 miles away!!, literally the next town over), because the first hospital does not have a cardiac center equipped to deal with my problem. The doctor said I had to be transported ASAP to the second hospital, and could not travel by ground ambulance. After arriving in ICU, I learned that 1) I could have waited -- it was NOT as critical as I was told, and 2) that same 1st hospital sent another patient to ICU where I was that same night, also by medical helicopter. I heard ICU medical personnel outside my room discussing the bizarre situations entering their ICU.

My husband had a seizure at home one morning in Fredericksburg, TX. I called 911 and they sent an ambulance. At the hospital he had a CAT scan. The ER Dr. said it showed a bleed in his brain. He said they needed to Airlift him to San Antonio to the Trauma Center. It was an 18 min flight. It is a 40-50 minute drive by car at 80mph on I-10. At trauma the neurologist told us that it was just a bad CAT scan. We had just changed Insurance companies because we were self-employed and uninsurable in Texas. Both companies we had been with for many years pulled out. The new company paid $1000.00. Now we are left with a $49978.22 bill. $27373.60 for the helicopter and $23605.12 for fuel. For an 18 minute flight. 61 miles. We are desperately trying to figure out how to pay this.

I was taken to the hospital for 2nd and 3rd degree burns. I told the local emergency that I dint want to take a helicopter bc I couldn't afford the cost. I had figured the cost was high but had no idea it would cost $60,000 for a 25 min flight. I have been researching the cost of fuel and the personnel payroll to man one of thes helicopters and I can see no way of how they can charge so much. I'm going to fight this has anyone else done the same with any good results?

My husband was transported by rocky mountain holdings air meds because of a brain bleed. It eas only a 40 mile flight. They charged 51,867 dollars.Our insurance paid 12,591 dollars said that is reasonable and customary. They are billing me 38,690. Can anyone help to let me know what to do next. Is this something that is legal.Should i get an attorney or just refuse to pay.

My son (2yo) took a fall on Christmas even and was taken to local emergency room where we found out he had epidural hematoma (cracked skull). He was rushed to a local Chicago children's hospital, 27 miles away, to undergo an emergency procedure. Thank God and great doctors and nurses, he has made a full recovery. My insurance has covered $19,236, and Arch Air Medical is billing me directly for the remaining balance of $12, 949.81. Arch air has turned me over to a collection agency, which in turn has ruined my credit. Can anyone help?

My 19-year-old son was injured in an ATV accident about A 4" cut behind his right ear. We transported him to the local emergency room in a small town in Kansas. After one dressing CAT scan and sutures we were informed that the doctor thought we needed to transport him to Wichita do to slight hemorrhaging and mild concussion. I am not convinced that an Air transportation flight was warranted. I believe that compensation is due for services rendered but this is ridiculous 200 mile flight and about 12 mile total ambulance ride over $40,000 get real. That's about what I make in six months averaging 55 hours per week I'm not sure their time is that much more valuable than mine. One aircraft two pilots two EMTs how much were they paid per hour I'm sure it is far less than we were billed.

I am so sorry what everyone is going through with costs and it is scary.... My husband had to be transported due to catastrophic liver failure in 2006 it was PHI Air the cost was just about $17,000 our group health insurance Aetna at the time before Obamacare paid 100%... My brother in law worked for PHI and they said if ins. didn't pay bill they would eat the cost.... Great owners of PHI. Granted brother in law worked for them and they wanted to save his brother but.... We just had our 10 yr. liver tranplant anniversary......
I would recommend not ever paying the balances when you can't afford it, or check into an emergency medical plan that may cover that, or confirm the ins. has paid all they are going to, and last but not least check into filing bankruptcy to see if you can get out of the debt.... If you can't file bankruptcy then offer to send payments of $10.00 a month or something and then of course you will never pay it off since you are broke....

I see a lot of ridiculous charges on here, and sadly many people who think they will lose their life savings or homes! No you won't! Dispute! Dispute! Dispute! Dispute the charges from the ambulance company AND dispute the charges not paid by the insurance company! Don't bother calling them on the phone. Write a dispute letter and mail it, certified, to both the insurance company AND the ambulance company every time you receive a bill from them. If you receive a call from a collection company, let them know the the account is in the dispute process, and disregard any unethical threats! Don't forget, you DO NOT have to speak to anyone on the phone if you choose not to, so don't feel obligated. Also, when you receive a denial letter, send another letter of dispute. Don't let this worry, consume your life! In the long run, they will either write if off, or reduce the amount owed and send it for collection. At that time, you can determine whether you think the amount is reasonable.

I had to be airlifted 50 miles. My Anthem insurance only covered $7,000. I really think they don't make contracts with your insurance company so they can see how much money they can get out of you. How much does it cost to operate a helicopter for 50 miles. They don't give you a break down!

43 minute flight to El Paso. Great crew but then came the sticker shock. Not only was there $33k for mileage, but there was another 27k listed for "helicopter rotor base" - possibly a maintenance charge. Air Methods requested that I sign away rights to appeal to them in order to bill my insurance company. Wow! Not signing and seeking legal advice.

my husband caught on fire in our house. I put him out and had to talk him into going to the hospital (b/c our insurance is a bunch of cheapskates, he did not want to go), but the ER doc said he had to go to a burn unit (the closest was over 200 miles away and he was intubated) so they air lifted him and now they want $22,000 from us [appealing the insurance] #now weknowwhatlifeisworth

balance is $22,454.47. Care First Blue Cross and Blue Shield paid what they said would be 100% if it were an in network air ambulance that amount was $4,181.53. It is my understanding that no air ambulance companies are in network because they will not except negotiated rates by any insurance companies. I had a heart Attack and had to be taken to that facility per the doctor in the emergency room. I can not believe that Ambulance companies can be charging these types of balances at all. There must be regulations to these types of charges. I only went for a 10 minute ride which was probably only 23 miles if that. Like someone else said we do not take these rides for the joy of the ride. There is no joy in these rides we are afraid we are going to die at this time. It is like paying someone's salary for a yr or buying a car with cash. I have not paid this balance yet and I fear that everything I have worked for all of my life can be taken away from me. I have been working with

My flight from mt. Clemens hospital to beaumont hospital was only 18.7 miles. This is the most ridiculous charge ever. My insurance will only pay $6,000. Help!

100 mile trip for my uncle. Needed quadruple bypass required pressure to keep him from bleeding out and dying cost him $17,300. The same distance for my newborn who was stabilized for the flight (only required monitoring) was $42,000!! No explanation of costs. company demanding payment or threatened to send me to collections with suggestion of insurance fraud. Absolutely criminal what they are doing. And nobody seems to care. Insurance is fine with it and I'm stuck with co-insurance bill of a little over a thousand dollars. Where are the advocates?!?

The check will always get sent to you. However, you should contact BCBS because it is their policy to pay at billed charges for Air Ambulance.

I guess there's comfort in numbers, knowing that my husband's air ambulance bill is not the only one out there. He was billed $59K and Blue Cross Blue Shield paid only $9K. Why isn't there a class action law suit? Who can offer information as to where to find assistance other than filing consumer complaints??

Recently on a camping vacation my 11 year old became very sick. Took him to the closest hospital. Found out he is type 1 diabetic. Was very sick and had to be flown from Rock Springs WY, to Salt Lake City, UT. 185 mile on the ground. BCBS sent me a check for $30,800 dollars? This way it gets them out of negotiations leaving me stuck in the middle. Air Medics wants me to sign over that check in addition to paying the remaining $24,200. There is no breakdown of cost, just a number they pull out of the air. Outside of the medical industry it would be consider extortion and potentially land them in prison. Not sure what to do next?

Flight for life transported my baby girl from Durango, CO to Albuquerque, NM during a medical emergency. ~150 miles. Talk about excessive!

115 miles from ER in my small town to university hospital. My son had an avulsion amputation (index finger). No price on best care for my children but I did not dream it would cost $55,000!! WOW!!! July 2015, no option for current year below.

Friday night stroke @ 6pm. Drove myself 4 blocks to hospital @ 9pm. Dr. determined to send me to hospital 130mi away. Local ambulance service only had one crew available and could not dispatch. Waited about 2 hours for air ambulance to arrive and then it was a 24 min flight to destination. Valley Med Flight billing $31,500. EBMS paid $6,900. REALLY?! Anyone like to buy a used kidney?

My 89 year old mom was in the nursing home when she became more ill with heart disease. The local ER doctor decided to life flight her 60 miles to Joplin. They stabilized her with medications in the bigger hospital.She passed away a few months later in the local hospital. Her insurance is paying $27,592.50 of the life flight bill, but disallowed $17945.00. They are leaving her owing $22083.88. I want to know what can they do to me since she is passed away. The is an old house that she owned, so I guess they can put a lien on it and take it as there is no way we can pay this bill. Nothing else was in her name. It is outrageous to be charged $45000 for a 60 mile flight. Unacceptable practices... why can't someone stop them?

Transported from New York to Los Angeles using a Jet from Angel MedFlight. This was the lowest price I could find at $21,000. I thought it was a good price, which is why I went with them.

Last summer my 88 y.o. mother was aerovac’d by chopper from Akron Gen to their owner, the Cleveland Clinic, about 47 miles away. She was billed for $1000 per mile, i.e. $47,000. Once she was in C.C. they treated her with drugs only, as if A.G. didn’t know how to do that for her. AG is one of the best voted hospitals in Ohio. I wonder if the aeromedic company gives AG a kick back for the business?

I delivered my wife to the heliport during a major heart attack, she was flown by "Air Evac Life Team" of Arkansas 45 mi. and charged $50,302.56. "Blue cross Blue Shield" paid $5,460.00 and life flight expects me to pay the balance. "Air Evac Life Team" is charging approx. $1,000.00 per mile. After paying $150.00 a year for the last 7 years to be a member Air Evac Lifeteam Orginazation??? What is the point of being a member if your charged "TWICE the national average for their service????

They believed I had an infection in my appendix so I was flown about a half hour from Marengo, IL to Elgin,IL my insurance said I didn't need to go by air so they are covering nothing

San luis Obispo CA to Fresno CA.APROX (150 miles in a car). When i woke up in ICU 12 hrs later...doctors thought I had a hole in my heart. Said I had 19 min til the helicopter was picking me up. Brought my day ND a half old newborn to me, had to leave her there.

My husband had an accident and was life-flighted 34 miles to the trauma center. Our insurance BCBS paid 5,000 which was the max benefit. Afterwards Air Methods wanted to balance bill us for the remainder. That's illegal in the state of Florida because the air transport agreed to the contractual amount from the insurance, but that didn't stop them from trying for two years to get the balance. I'm filing a complaint with the state attorney general now to see if that department can get this company to back off of this activity.

Short ride from Picayune, MS to Hattiesburg, MS (about 18min) cost over $32K after BCBS payment. This was not a dedicated air ambulance either, they had taken out one of the pilot seats and stuffed me in there. I have not paid these people yet, that is why I am looking at the net for excessive charging.

Transported 44 miles from hospital to hospital. the cost for the ride $33,384.90. BlueCross of Oklahoma paid $4142.61 Air Methods is balance billing me $29,242.29. The ground transport to and from the same place is about a one hour drive.
The ground ambulance cost is about $ 2000.00.
It will take every penny I have to pay this. The stress of negotiating with Air Methods is onerous. At 63 years old I have no chance to financially recover from this expense.