No 1 Policies And Procedures: Fill & Download for Free

(I'm neither a Trump supporter nor Republican. I wrote much of the answer below in 2013, in response to a question about what aspects of the ACA people find most worrisome going forward. Four years on, I'll let you decide how true it remains.)—-Opposition to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) often breaks down into one or more of the following concerns:The way it was soldThe way it was passedThe way it was rolled outThe creation of another entitlement that we may not be able to afford unless dramatically restructuredThe questionable, constant modification of it by the Executive Branch (i.e., giving the executive branch, and neither the free market nor the legislative branch, enough influence over 1/7th of the economy), and resultant lack of durability, stability and consistency to new administrationsThe budget-busting increased out-of-pocket expense for many individuals compelled to participateThe decreasing choices for manyLet's take them each in turn.The way it was sold.Virtually every important promise we were told during the "selling" of what became the Affordable Care Act is now, and without even a hint of partisanship, provably, factually untrue."If you like your healthcare plan, you will keep your healthcare plan, period." False. "If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor, period." False. "It is not a tax." False. "It will lower the average cost of health insurance for the typical family of 4 by $2500 per household." False. "We can do all this without adding one dime to the deficit." False. “It will lead to greater choice in the marketplace.” False.The level of misrepresentation and mendacity, not just before but after the details were known is truly historic for social legislation of such expense and import. Given the way that these facts were consistently, repeatedly misrepresented, it's entirely reasonable in my view for those that cast deciding votes based even in part on these representations to feel cheated.It is reasonable to ask -- What if we knew the truth then? What if the president and many in his party didn't so blatantly misrepresent the facts of the proposed, and later passed, law?"If you misrepresent what's in this plan, we will call you out." -- President Obama, address to Congress, 2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U...What if the media truly did its job and actually fact-checked the claim "If you like your plan, you can keep your plan" when it actually mattered most?"The media, for the most part, fell down on the job when it came to dissecting the promises made by supporters (for example, that people could keep their insurance and their doctors); who would pay for the subsidies; why essential benefits were important; and why there had to be an individual mandate with penalties for not buying insurance." - Dropped Coverage - Trudy LiebermanIf we had a more accurate picture of the proposed new reality when it was still a bill, would we still have this law? Would it have passed? Did we opt into this actually knowing the most important tradeoffs we were making?I could stop here -- and this would be enough to explain reasonable opposition.But there’s more. Let's continue.The way it was passed.Then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (CA) famously said "We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what’s in it..."Let's remember that for the initial vote in the Senate, many legislators were coaxed along with state-by-state payoffs, including the infamous "cornhusker kickback" which got it just barely over the line. (via Politico: Payoffs for states get Harry Reid to 60 votes - Chris Frates.)"You’ll find a number of states that are treated differently than other states. That’s what legislating is all about." - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, 2009, in reference to billions handed out to various states to help move their Senator to a "Yes" vote on the ACA.Let's also remember that it was passed, with zero Republican votes, through a committee reconciliation process in the middle of the night, deliberately to avoid a sure-to-lose final vote in the Senate.And, more just to provide context than to argue that this should be prescriptive, it was also passed against majority popular polled opinion at the time. That one fact -- polling and popular opinion -- certainly shouldn't be determinative -- but it's a piece of legislation that has very broad impact on all of us and in some ways you could say that congress went against, or very much up to an even line, of "the will of the people" to make it happen. There certainly was no mandate that it be done; even those polls that suggested many people favored it now have to be severely discounted, given the frequent and blatant misrepresentations of the downsides of the plan.The facts are that it was not brought to final vote in the Senate the way laws of this size, expense, impact and import have always been passed, but rather rammed through procedurally in reconciliation after voters went to the polls in Massachusetts and elected Scott Brown to the Senate in a major upset -- this after hearing his primary message: "I will be the deciding vote on healthcare."Stepping back, historically -- there has never been such a substantial piece of social legislation passed through reconciliation -- not Social Security, not Civil Rights legislation, not Medicare, not Medicaid... nothing.The Republicans offered many amendments that were rejected -- from letting insurance companies sell insurance plans across state lines to use of Medical Savings Accounts to stricter rules for insurance companies to keep selling plans rather than cancelling them. Some of them actually might have helped the rollout. All were universally rejected, often with considerable scorn.Through all this, we are now seeing the effects of this entirely partisan legislation -- any modifications are vetoed by the other party, and last-minute workaround "fixes" are proposed that stretch the very constitutional boundaries of executive power. This is not, in my view, entirely Republicans fault -- it's in the way that it was rammed through, which dramatically hampers its ability to improve over time.The way it was rolled out.Do I even need to elaborate here? A website as easy to use as Amazon? A president, who, having been president 5 years, laments that IT procurement at the Federal level is just too darn hard? A president that tiptoes around an apology for mendacity and claims that he just didn't know that the website at the heart of his signature piece of legislation wasn't going to work until too late, and says that most of those plans that were canceled were “junk plans anyway”? An administration that initially claimed that the problems were due to overwhelming demand? A president that later realizes to his surprise that health insurance is a complex thing to buy? An administration that outsources a multi-million-dollar, privacy-and-security-laden project to a Canadian company after railing about private companies outsourcing US jobs on the campaign trail? An administration that once said it wanted to be the "most transparent in history" deliberately withholding vital information -- such as the realtime enrollee numbers (known hour by hour, day by day), or the actual makeup of the actual "enrollee" pool? A redefinition of words like "enrolled" to mean putting something in a shopping cart, not actually what most people might assume -- like paying? Insurance executives saying they've been repeatedly warned not to critique or share their concerns about the ACA?No. I don't.The creation of another entitlement that we may not be able to afford.We are now at $20 trillion in debt, roughly 100% of our GDP. Millions like me in the individual insurance markets have seen their insurance cancelled. The increase in prices for a worse plan for us is around 40%.Yet 80%+ of all "enrollees" have so far, registered not to pay in a thin dime -- but rather have signed up for Medicaid - which is 100% funded by taxpayers.Do I think Medicaid should help our neediest? Absolutely.But it's worrisome to me that we're accelerating the fiscal implosion of the Medicaid program. Simpson-Bowles (haven't read it? you really should: http://www.fiscalcommission.gov/...) is very clear on this: Entitlements -- particularly Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security -- are breaking our fiscal back. And our economic security as a nation depends upon getting control of our long-term-debt."Commission members, and virtually all budget experts, agree that the rapid growth of federal health care spending is the primary driver of long-term deficits." - Bowles and Simpson commenting on their report, "Moment of Truth", 2010As well-intentioned as many of the sentiments are around the ACA, the solution is not, in my view, to layer on yet another major entitlement without thinking it through, via a law that far too few legislators actually read before voting.Medicaid rolls will swell. Many, many people that were OK bearing the full cost of private insurance will now get a subsidy. It's cost us $600 million so far to get a non-functional website. Billions more will be spent; millions of once-insured folks, relatively happy to continue to pay for 100% their own individual insurance, are now being subsidized by taxpayers, borrowing, and ultimately our grandchildren's prosperity.Is there good that comes out of the ACA? Sure! But there are substantial negative tradeoffs too, and these were severely misrepresented or never even discussed.The questionable, constant modification of it by the Executive BranchArticle I, Section I of the Constitution vests all legislative powers in the Congress: "All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives."Article II, Section III defines presidential powers, declaring with respect to laws that "he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed." Nowhere in the Constitution does it provide for the president to modify settled law, and the separation of powers are there for deliberate reason!Yet well after the legislation was passed, the president came out with major new adjustments, exemptions for congressional staff, selective delays and additional mandates for insurers. He and his staff were effectively adding to, modifying and removing things in the law that were not permitted by legislators. And that is very worrisome indeed.Yes, the Supreme Court declared that the individual mandate, if considered a tax, is Constitutional.But my point here is that I do not think that the president has the power to make such broad changes to settled law. For instance, he is choosing to selectively implement pieces to align -- lo and behold! -- with electoral calendars, and -- surprise! -- choosing favored groups (e.g., unions) to dole out special exemptions. This should be troubling to the left and the right and those of us in between -- this is not what the founders specified in the Constitution.If, say, a sitting president said that for 2014, blue cars can go 70 mph on the highway and red cars only 55 mph -- that certain speeders violating the law wouldn't be "enforced", I think we'd have some trouble with that. So too with any settled law. "He shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.""I wonder if he has the legal authority to do this." - Howard Dean, former governor, presidential candidate and chair of the DNC.Further, this constant ex-post-facto tinkering with mandates and what the insurance companies are allowed/required to offer must be making insurance executives' heads explode. (Tying some of these elements together, that he feels he cannot send it back to Congress for proper, legal modification is due in no small part to the way it was passed.)"On Thursday, [the president] passed a new law at a press conference. King George III never did that. But, having ordered America’s insurance companies to comply with the ACA, the president announced that he is now ordering them not to comply with the ACA. The legislative branch (as it’s still quaintly known) passed a law purporting to grandfather your existing health plan. The regulatory bureaucracy then interpreted the law so as to un-grandfather your health plan. So His Most Excellent Majesty has commanded that your health plan be de-un-grandfathered. That seems likely to work. The insurance industry had three years to prepare for the introduction of the ACA. Now the King has given them six weeks to de-introduce the ACA." - Mark Steyn - Thus Spake Obama"Obamacare is introducing a new form of government​—​improvisational government, characterized by continuous ad hoc revisions of statutory law by executive decree. This is a reversion to a primitive form that long antedates our Constitution and rule-of-law traditions. Transported to the modern world, it leaves the private sector in a state of constant uncertainty and subjection." -- The Silence of the Liberals"I'm afraid this is beginning to border on a cult of personality for people on the left. I happen to agree with many of President Obama's policies, but in our system, it is often as important how you do something as what you do. And I think that many people will look back at this period in history and see nothing but confusion as to why people remained so silent when the president asserted these types of unilateral actions. You have a president who is claiming the right to write or ignore or negate Federal laws. That's a very dangerous thing." -- Johnathan Turley, law professor, author and Constitutional scholar, February 12 2014“To contend that the obligation imposed on the president to see the laws faithfully executed implies a power to forbid their execution is a novel construction of the Constitution, and is entirely inadmissible.”— U.S. Supreme Court, Kendall v. The United States, 1838The Increased Out of Pocket Costs for ManyTaking into account both increased deductibles and premium increases, the ACA is not affordable for many.The Decreasing Choices for ManyOver the last couple of years, we’ve seen:Aetna leave all ACA markets (Aetna exiting all ACA insurance marketplaces in 2018)Cigna leave all ACA markets (Cigna joins health insurance industry pullback from Obamacare)Anthem leaning toward leaving all ACA markets (Big Obamacare insurer Anthem seen as 'leaning toward exiting' many areas where it now sells plans)United Health leave all ACA markets (UnitedHealthcare to exit most Obamacare exchanges)Blue Cross Blue Shield leave much of Kansas and Missouri (Another Obamacare insurer just quit, leaving 25 Missouri counties with no options)Multiple insurance company executives declare that the ACA is in a “death spiral”22 of 23 nonprofits announce they are unprofitable, with 12/23 going bankrupt (Obamacare's Nonprofit Insurers Are Failing, Predictably)McKinsey & Co. summarize that insurers lost over $2.7 billion covering ACA plans just from 2010-2015 alone (Exchanges three years in: Market variations and factors affecting performance)If Centene leaves, Mississipi will have no insurersWhat does it look like when Obamacare explodes? This interactive graphic explains.This chart, even from ever-reliable ACA cheerleaders at Vox, tells an important story:At this writing, the United States has 3,007 counties — so that’s more than a third of counties with just one or fewer ACA insurers. The trend is not looking positive.Some specifics in the lawI understand (and generally support!) the goal of sensibly redistributing wealth and increasing the risk-pools. I take as a given that the goals of insuring the uninsured and never again allowing insurance companies to deny people for pre-existing conditions -- are laudable.But everyone has a view on what the limits of the federal government should be, and I personally disagree with the idea that, say, discretionary contraceptive care, is something that must, by law be subsidized at the federal level by everyone else in the nation, regardless of their need for it, and regardless of their ability to pay for it on their own. (And don't get me wrong, I'm just fine with with sex, thank-you-very-much! But it's optional, and come on -- you or your significant other can afford a condom, Ms. Fluke. We're not so dependent upon the largess from others that it should be a new right, that it's now society's burden to pay for it, are we?) My view doesn't come from a religious perspective, but rather a view on what constitutes something that the federal government should redistribute for us. If contraceptive pharmaceuticals, why not healthy food? Vitamins? Water? Those too are important for good health.And what of the requirement for all plans to pay for maternity care? Should we really compel the couple who cannot have children (e.g., infertility, octogenarians, elderly widowers, those who deliberately make a reasonable choice not to have kids, what have you) to pay for those that can? Do we really want to train people not to worry, that socialization will take care of every responsibility for you? (Can you think of any downsides to that approach?)On this, there are reasonable debates to be had depending upon your political perspective -- for me, I favor independence and personal responsibility where possible, and a strong safety net for those who are in need of it. But related to your question, I find it worrisome that the ACA inexorably moves "up" some assumptions about what society, and not the individual, should pay for -- because it risks a further dependency culture and loss of freedom.What's aheadAll the major vital signs of the ACA point to the fact that it’s in a fiscal death-spiral. The question is what do we do about it. Those who want to keep but strengthen the ACA have largely been silent on what specifically stops such a death spiral, and specifically how much it will add to our children's debt. We do know that insurance carriers are collectively citing billions of dollars of losses as they head for the exits, so it's hard to see how just throwing money at the problem structurally rights the ship.For me, I could actually get behind a single-payer system, if we could also still allow and regulate some completely private market options, which might evolve somewhat like public schooling (still with private options.)I could also get behind a private market Medical Savings Account system with catastrophic coverage subsidized for those that cannot pay for it.Neither of these should immediately suggest to ACA proponents that I’m against healthcare, or against providing better healthcare for our citizens. I just have a different strategy, and I see the existing data on the ACA as not really supporting the notion that the ACA is healthy and working effectively.Even if the ACA ran “smoothly” as designed, it doesn't solve a major healthcare cost problem -- and that is, at the time one is deciding whether or not to go ahead with a particular procedure (which may or may not be a good idea), the entity that actually bears the cost for that procedure is nowhere in the room.

There are two scenarios in which flight helicopter charges can be ascertained.Individual Insurance (covers accidental/medical evacuation)Not InsurredFor option 1 the Aviation Company works in collaboration with insurance Company and Helicopter will be quite cheaper for patient. Risk level will be quite manageable in this option.Option 2 without Insurance, then it would be quite expensive and will definitely depends upon type of helicopter, distance from / to the hospital, fuel price and maintenance. Risk will be enhanced as individual may not be covered by insurance.Few air ambulance cost are as fol ( Copied From Net):-With Health Insurance: $50-$500+Without Health Insurance: $2,000-$200,000An air ambulance is a specially equipped and staffed helicopter or airplane that performs emergency or scheduled transports.Typical costs:Air ambulance service typically is covered by health insurance in certain types of emergencies or if a doctor certifies that air transport is medically necessary, and if a patient is going to the nearest appropriate facility. If transport is being done for convenience, such as to relocate nearer to family, it might not be covered. For example, BlueCross Blue Shield of Alabama[1] covers air transport on many of its policies, including transportation to a hospital near home for patients injured or hospitalized more than 200 miles from home. For patients with health insurance, out-of-pocket costs typically consist of a copay of less than $50 to $500 or more, or coinsurance of 10 % to 50% or more for a total that could reach the yearly out-of-pocket maximum.For patients without health insurance, the cost of air ambulance service typically depends on: the current cost of jet fuel, the type of aircraft used, the distance flown and the type of medical staff required. The total can be less than $2,000 for a short flight to almost $50,000 for a longer domestic flight to $200,000 or more for an international flight. For example, Air Ambulance 1[2] charges about $2,500 for a 55-mile flight on a twin-engine propeller plane, staffed by paramedics, from Saint Joseph, MO, to Kansas City, MO. Air Ambulance 1 charges about $25,000 for a flight on a light jet, staffed by paramedics, from Kansas City to Los Angeles. National Air Ambulance charges about $37,400 for a flight from New York to California staffed by a nurse and paramedic. For a flight from Arizona to Australia, Air Ambulance 1 charges about $155,000 on a light jet, if staffed by paramedics (about $160,000 if staffed by a doctor and nurse) or about $177,000 on a mid-sized jet (about $182,000 if staffed by a doctor and nurse).What should be included:If planned in advance, an air ambulance service should include a pre-flight medical evaluation and consultation with the patient's physician to determine the equipment and care needed during the flight.The flight typically takes place on a helicopter, a propeller plane, or a jet that is equipped with a flight stretcher and advanced life-support equipment, including oxygen, a ventilator, monitors, a defibrillator, IV equipment and other medical supplies. Typically, at least one family member may accompany the patient at no extra charge.Additional costs:Some companies do not include ground ambulance transport from the current facility to the aircraft and from the landing location to the new facility.Arranging an air ambulance flight through a broker can add hundreds or thousands of dollars to the final cost due to commissions paid to the broker. Or, a service such as Air Ambulance Jobs | Air medical job services provides price quotes from various companies for free.Discounts:Many air ambulance services offer discounts to patients who are flexible; most commonly, if one patient is flying from one city to another, and another is flying back to the city of origin, both patients can be offered discounts of 30% or more.For fairly stable patients, a specially trained medical escort, usually a paramedic or nurse, can accompany the patient on a commercial flight for a fraction of the cost of an air ambulance. Mercy Medical Angels[3] lists organizations that help patients in need secure air ambulance servMaterial on this page is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Always consult your physician or pharmacist regarding medications or medical procedures.Recent Comments by PeopleEmergency Air EvacuationAmount: $523,000.00Posted by: Lee ColemanFrom: Charlotte Amalia, St. Thomas, VI, MDPosted On: January 27th, 2017 07:01PMType of Aircraft: Lear JetMedical Personnel: Nurse, ParamedicCost was astronomical. Estimate was cost per nautical mile so useless. Flight went from St. Thomas, VI, to Ft. Lauderdale, to Teterboro, NJ, to BWI,Air Ambulance bill is excessiveAmount: $34,000.00Posted by: CNBFrom: Gulf Breeze, FLPosted On: December 30th, 2016 04:12AMType of Aircraft: HelicopterMedical Personnel: ParamedicsMy daughter fell and hit her head causing her to lose consciousness. The hospital was less than 10 miles away by car, but because we would have to cross a bridge, a helicopter was used. We were billed almost $37,000 for the flight. BC/BS of Florida paid $4500. Air Methods is balance billing me more than $32,000.Way too much for 30 minute rideAmount: $40,810.00Posted by: Jordon BruceFrom: Fredericksburg, VAPosted On: December 6th, 2016 10:12AMType of Aircraft: AirmedicalMedical Personnel: 1I 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.Outrageous Cost by Flight for LifeAmount: $75,000.00Posted by: Royally Screwed in PAFrom: Philadelphia suburbs, PAPosted On: November 22nd, 2016 09:11PMType of Aircraft: Medical HelicopterMedical Personnel: 2One 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.AirliftAmount: $51,000.00Posted by: Cynthia Campbell-WoltersFrom: Fredericksburg, TXPosted On: November 16th, 2016 07:11AMType of Aircraft:Medical Personnel: 1 nurse, 1 pilotMy 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.In shockAmount: $59,695.00Posted by: AndrewinshockFrom: Sryacuse, NYPosted On: October 20th, 2016 07:10PMType of Aircraft: HelicopterMedical Personnel: 2 EMTsI 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?air medthodsAmount: $51,867.00Posted by: gizmoFrom: akron, OHPosted On: September 19th, 2016 12:09PMType of Aircraft: helicoptormMedical Personnel: 2My 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.Cost of air ambulanceAmount: $32,185.81Posted by: MilosFrom: Dyer IN, INPosted On: September 6th, 2016 03:09PMType of Aircraft: HelicopterMedical Personnel: 2My 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?Air Ambulance from Fresno, CA to San Francisco, CA(400 miles or so)Amount: $0.00Posted by: Kathleen TrippFrom: Fresno, AZPosted On: July 24th, 2016 09:07AMType of Aircraft: HelicopterMedical Personnel: Air MedicsI 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....Even with insurance looking at going brokeAmount: $55,000.00Posted by: Broke and confused.From: Rock Springs, WYPosted On: August 30th, 2015 07:08PMType of Aircraft: HelicopterMedical Personnel: 2Recently 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 - CO to NMAmount: $47,000.00Posted by: a user in Durango, CO.Posted On: August 28th, 2015 03:08PMType of Aircraft: HelicopterMedical Personnel: 2Flight for life transported my baby girl from Durango, CO to Albuquerque, NM during a medical emergency. ~150 miles. Talk about excessive!Cost of air ambulanceAmount: $54,999.00Posted by: a user in Hazard, KY.Posted On: August 4th, 2015 04:08PMType of Aircraft: HelicopterMedical Personnel: Pilot and 2 medical personnel115 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.Emergency air flightAmount: $31,500.00Posted by: Just wanted a ride not to purchaseFrom: Livingston, MTPosted On: June 21st, 2015 07:06AMType of Aircraft: twin propMedical Personnel: 2Friday 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?Arch Air Medical Service in MissouriAmount: $45,537.50Posted by: Juell BrandtFrom: Nevada, MOPosted On: June 20th, 2015 06:06AMType of Aircraft: HelicopterMedical Personnel: paramedicsMy 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?cost of air ambulance New York to Los AngelesAmount: $21,000.00Posted by: JClark in Los Angeles, CaFrom: Los Angeles, CAPosted On: June 11th, 2015 10:06AMType of Aircraft: JetMedical Personnel: 3 - Pilot, Nurse, ParamedicTransported 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.$1,000 per mileAmount: $47,000.00Posted by: R. Beck USA ret. medicFrom: Akron, Ohio, OHPosted On: April 21st, 2015 06:04PMType of Aircraft: helicopterMedical Personnel: ? RNLast 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?excessive cost of air ambulanceAmount: $39,000.00Posted by: a user in harrison, AR.Posted On: April 11th, 2015 08:04AMType of Aircraft: HelicopterMedical Personnel: 1 pilot, 1 medicI 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????Way over pricedAmount: $43,000.00Posted by: Jeff RFrom: Marengo, ILPosted On: March 9th, 2015 10:03AMType of Aircraft: HelicopterMedical Personnel: 3They 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 nothingCost of air ambulance helicopter- covered by MEDI-CALAmount: $52,000.00Posted by: Lisa CheekFrom: San Luis Obispo, CAPosted On: January 30th, 2015 11:01PMType of Aircraft: HelicopterMedical Personnel: paramedics??? unsureSan 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.Don't Pay Anything If You Have InsuanceAmount: $24,000.00Posted by: No GoFrom: St augustine, FLPosted On: December 30th, 2014 08:12AMType of Aircraft:Medical Personnel: Air MethodsMy 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.air ambulance in mississippiAmount: $32,000.00Posted by: JohnKFrom: Hattiesburg, MSPosted On: October 20th, 2014 11:10AMType of Aircraft: light helicopterMedical Personnel: 1Short 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.cost of air ambulanceAmount: $33,384.90Posted by: going broke at 63From: chickasha, OKPosted On: September 21st, 2014 09:09AMType of Aircraft: helicopterMedical Personnel: twoTransported 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.