Air Ambulance Services – What to Expect
When a patient is facing a time sensitive medical emergency or has a condition that cannot be treated in their area, air medical transport is often the most effective method of moving from one place to another. There are a few things that a patient and his or her family can expect during an air ambulance flight, which they should know about before they are in a situation where they need this service.
Once a patient has made arrangements with an air ambulance service, the medical staff will consult with the patient’s doctor or nurse to determine the necessary equipment and specialists needed for travel. The patient and his attending nurses or physician will then travel to the airfield, often in an ambulance, and the patient will be boarded onto the plane.
In the air, the plane will have all of the medical equipment and attendants necessary to transport the passenger safely, and tend to any medical emergencies that might arise during the flight. Arrangements need to be made for an ambulance or other vehicle to be waiting at the air field to safely deliver the patient to the final destination. A member of the passenger’s family can often travel along if requested, and loved ones are kept well informed of progress throughout the flight.
Many people choose to use an air ambulance service for transportation of passengers who are not facing life threatening emergencies. One of the most common types of non-emergency medical flights is for an elderly patient relocating to a new medical facility. Just like emergency medical flights, the medical staff is thoroughly briefed of their condition by the patient’s doctor prior to take-off, and the plane is equipped to provide the necessary assistance throughout the trip for every medical contingency.
All air ambulance service flights are operated by FAA licensed pilots with an excellent safety record. Although there is a wide range of aircraft that are used for emergency medical and non-emergency medical flights, the most common types of planes that are used for are Gulfstream, Learjet and twin engine Cessna models. Luxury aircraft can often be arranged for by an air medical transport company at the request of a patient or his or her family.
Most air medical transport services accept different types of medical insurance, but a patient is advised to contact his or her insurance carrier to confirm that the policy covers air transport. Approximately one third of the patients who use these services are covered by their insurance to some extent, while Medicare and Medicaid patients may need to discuss their options further with the appropriate agencies. Talking to your preferred medical transport company as well as your insurance provider should give you more information, so you can be sure you or your loved one knows exactly what to expect.
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