There are many situations, wherein air evacuation is the only or the fastest way to arrive at the hospital. However, you need to be cautious while hiring air ambulance companies. Always hire reputed companies like Air Evac International, which ensures comfortable, safe and efficiently coordinated medical transfers.
Air Travel is used when
- There are no hospitals nearby
- People are involved in serious vehicle accidents
- Critical heart condition
- Accidents wherein there is substantial blood reduction in the patient
- Stroke
- Disaster management
- When a person demands organ transplant
- If the travel time is more than thirty minutes to the nearby facility
- Bed side ICU transfer
- Medical Evacuation
- Rescue Operations
How to Choose an Air Ambulance Company
Choosing the right company could be overwhelming. You need to contemplate an array of variables like qualification, expertise, basic safety practices and the kind of treatment the supplier is able to provide.
It is prudent to select those companies that are in the locality of airports or in large cities. This way, you can avoid logistical issues and unnecessary journey, which otherwise could negate the advantages of air transportation. You should inquire about the insurance policies of the organization and sort out everything in advance, so that you could make any further arrangements if required.
Evaluating air medical transport companies should be the top priorities. You need to watch for following things
- Pay as you go scams
- Companies that lease the equipment and/or aircraft
- Outdated or old equipment or/and aircraft
- Very few pilots aboard
- Not enough qualification
Pay as you go is a deal that is not quite common, but it certainly poses a threat to people, who are not aware of the standard procedures of this industry. The service providers might take undue advantage of the patients by providing monthly payment plan to cover the flight cost. It is noticed that such arrangement usually leads to fraud. So, it is better to speak to the insurance carrier before signing the documents.
The companies that lease out aircraft and medical equipment will be able to offer a better price to the customers. However, there is a risk while dealing with such businesses. Also, you need to be careful about those vendors who neglect regular maintenance schedules and safety regulations. One more thing that you need to be concerned on is how quickly the company would be able to arrange a flight plan. If you are availing the services of the brokers then make sure that you find out about the policies in advance.
It is also extremely important to make sure that the crew has right medical training while choosing the air ambulance. Every year, almost 400, 000 patients use air medical transportation services. The safety relies solely on the aptitude of the pilots, who are navigating the aircraft. So, hire a vendor, who provides the right number of pilots.
How to Pay
In most of the cases, the insurance company will bear the cost of air transportation. However, it is important to double-check with them before making prior arrangements. If the insurance provider does not cover the expenses, then the air ambulance service provider will insist on up-front payment. Get quotes from various suppliers, which will help you select the best and affordable services. Today, payments through credit card are accepted by several air ambulance operators. Besides this, money order or wire transfer is also accepted.
It is important to be extra cautious while hiring air ambulance service to avoid subpar medical treatment/care.
