non-ambulatory "angel flight" options

[TangoWhiskey]

Angel Flight only flies ambulatory passengers. I have a friend whose father had open heart surgery; he's out of recovery and needs to get home from Dallas to Jonesboro, Arkansas. He doesn't have insurance to cover air ambulance, and the cheapest rate he can find is $6376 from Lifeguard at Fort Worth Meacham, in a twin Seneca II. WOW, that's expensive!

Anybody know other options he might be able to consider?? It cost him $7189 to get him here for surgery... I don't expect him to find something for free, but are there more affordable choices?

He'll probably be on a stretcher, is on oxygen and a long term feeding tube, so this may be the only choice they really have...

P.S.--Sounds like there is still money to be made in aviation!

 

[gprellwitz]

Well, you could check out www.aircareall.org to see if they list any charitable organizations that could help, but I'm not aware of any.

As far as money to be made, what's the insurance on something like this? Any different than on a normal flight? Are they providing anything besides a pilot and a plane, like a medical practitioner or even assistance at each end to load/unload the patient? At that price, it does seem, though, like there's a profit to be made somewhere!

 

[TangoWhiskey]

Thanks, Grant. I'm not sure what insurance would pay/cover--would depend on the policy/benefit schedule, I'd imagine.

I'm sure he'd need a nurse along, "just in case", and likely an ambulance to get him to his next destination in Jonesboro, seeing as he'd likely be on a stretcher.

As far as the pricing, this was the cheapest he could find, on a prop plane, not a jet. 380nm one way, presumed dead-head home for the crew unless they had an Arkansas to Dallas flight. Remember--this was the CHEAPEST he could find... everybody else was upwards of $7500. Yikes.

 

[TMetzinger]

I think the alternative is a private ambulance by ROAD, unfortunately.

I wouldn't want to transport a patient in that situation in anything less than a MICU-class vehicle, with room to lay the patient flat, all the gear on board, and space for two practitioners.

 

[TangoWhiskey]

Thanks, Tim, I'll pass that along to my friend... that's a long ride in an ambulance, for all involved!

 

[Everskyward]

I would have him check further with his doctor and his insurance company. My understanding is that many of them will cover air ambulance if it is medically necessary.

FYI, when we fly air ambulance there is a pilot (or two if it is a two-pilot airplane), and two medical crewmembers, a flight nurse and a medic, plus a ton of equipment.