Getting Your Questions About Medical Transport Answered
Hopefully you will not find yourself in a situation of needing emergency flights and air ambulance services but if in fact you do, it is good to know some information about this type of service. Many people have questions and you may think that you will just cross that bridge when you come to it, as with most things it is better to find out information in advance so you will know what to do if the need arises. It estimated that in the United States alone an average of 550,000 patients a year are transported by air ambulance and when you consider that statistic it is probably likely that you or a loved one may need this type of service at some point down the road. So what are the things you need to know?
It is important to note that air ambulance services are used for local and long distance transport alike. They can be used to transport a critical patient to a medical facility that can better accommodate their needs and in this case it is usually done to reduce travel time and trauma on a patient. In this case, many times, the doctor or hospital will let you know who to contact or will request permission to contact the medical flight company directly. Usually this can be arranged rather quickly if a person is in need of life saving treatment and depending on the circumstances surrounding the emergency flight your health insurance may reimburse for this service. In other cases, medical flights can be used to help transport someone who needs to see a specialist and is too ill to fly on a regular airline flight. In this case, necessity would be determined by your health insurance company but the air ambulance company will help you to fill out all the paperwork and can even fly your family members along with the patient at no additional cost.
Medical flights transport individuals just like your loved one each and every day. As experts in their field air ambulance services can ensure that you are flying with the very best pilots in only safety inspected and approved vehicles that are designed specifically for medical air transport. In addition the medical professionals they deal with are not only trained and licensed but are some of the best in their fields. Not only are they prepared to deal with a variety of different health issues and illnesses they are also ready to handle any emergency that may occur while in the air. It can be very reassuring to a family to know that their loved one will be transported in the very safest way possible.
Air ambulances can be costly but usually about 35% of individuals can get their money reimbursed by their health insurance company and when you need to transport an ill loved one safely, no expense is too great. After all, when someone is very sick and needs to receive treatment elsewhere there are only a few options and you will want to make sure that you have medical professionals standing by to care for them every step of the way. The good thing is that once you receive your quote from the air ambulance service that will be the price that you pay and includes every facet of the trip. There are no hidden expenses, when it comes to emergency flights; every aspect is included in your price quote.
And medical flights don’t just include air transport but on the ground transportation as well. Some larger medical facilities have landing areas but others don’t which means flying into a smaller local airport and then having to get transportation to the medical facility of your choice. The air ambulance service that is providing your air transportation will also provide you with ground transport as well for not only the patient but the family members that are traveling with them also. Medical flights not only provide a flight but a bed to bed service to ensure the patient is handled with the utmost care. Having a continuum of care offer the patient the best possible outcome.
Emergency flights are available to locations all around the world and many people don’t realize how valuable this service can be until they or a loved one want to travel to another country for an alternative treatment. Flying internationally, especially on commercial airlines can be very taxing and also can leave your patient without the care they need if a crisis were to arrive. When you use a medical flight for transportation you know that you will have someone monitoring your patient’s condition every step of the way and this will aid in giving you the peace of mind you need for the journey at hand.
When a family member is sick or even terminally ill this is something that not only affects the patient but the entire family. Having the ability to pick up the phone and call on someone reliable to arrange transportation with very little notice can really be a lifesaver at a time like this.