'Flier Beware' Of Air Ambulance Services
Some commercial airlines reserve space for a stretcher and medical personnel in the back of the cabin, but many are no longer providing that service. With an air ambulance, the patient is flown on a small jet outfitted with some of the equipment you'd find on a ground ambulance, with medical personnel onboard. The expense is enormous. Companies usually charge a base fee, a separate fee for medical personnel, and then mileage. A trip from Florida to Boston will cost at least $10,000; from Africa, at least $50,000.
You can buy travel insurance that will cover air evacuation services, although the coverage may be limited to transportation to the "nearest appropriate facility." An alternative to travel insurers are membership organizations such as Global Rescue and MedJet Assist. With these you aren't restricted to the "nearest appropriate facility," but there are other limitations.
The Harvard Health Letter suggests that if you're hiring an air ambulance directly, the best place to start looking for a reliable company is http://www.camts.org, the Web site for the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems. Ask the following questions:
Does the operator have valid certification and current insurance?
-- Is the medical equipment suitable?
-- How experienced are the pilots and medical personnel?
-- Can you provide references from previous customers?
Harvard Health Letter
Harvard Health Publications Harvard Medical School 10 Shattuck St., Ste. 612
Cambridge, MA 02115
United States
http://www.health.harvard.edu
"Atenþie fluture", din serviciile de ambulanþã de aer - 'Flier Beware' Of Air Ambulance Services - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate