Medical helicopter flights cost less than some expect

Keri Thornton, Tahlequah Daily Press, Okla.
·2 min read

Sep. 10—Northeastern Health System has a 24-hour air medical base that serves residents and visitors within a 60-mile radius.

International Air Ambulance Week is Sept. 6-14, and the focus is to support and generate donations for flying medical services around the world.

First Flight, formally named EagleMed, opened in 2003. Med-Trans Corp. acquired the air medical base in February 2017.

Med-Trans bases a medically-equipped Bell 407GXP helicopter at NHS, and it serves the citizens of north, central and southeast Oklahoma, as well as north and mid-south Arkansas. The 24-hour base is staffed by flight crews, including four pilots, a nursing staff and paramedic staff that are backed by physician oversight.

NHS does not bill or collect for First Flight services. Nowadays, the cost for an ambulance ride can range from less than $400 to $800 or more, plus mileage. Ambulance companies don't typically have contracts with insurers.

Those with Medicare are covered for ground ambulance transportation and may pay for emergency ambulance transportation in a helicopter.

Medicare will only cover ambulance services to the nearest appropriate medical facility that's able to give the care needed, according to medicare.org.

The average payment for ambulance transportation to NHS is $600. Some cities offer services that help ease the burden of a medical emergency. For Oklahoma City residents, EMSAcare costs $3.60 per month and is charged on their utility bills.

The service includes most of the OKC and Tulsa metro area.

County employees are covered with a medical transport solutions plan and payment through MASA — Medical Transport Solutions.

The employee pays $7 and the county will pick up $7, or $3.50 per paycheck, to have ambulance transportation in a helicopter.

A First Flight spokesperson provided their COVID protocols and said the average number of air transportation events is typically one patient per day.

"All flights are screened at the time of request and decisions are made based on current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and accepted safety practices. At this time, we continue to be focused on ensuring our care providers and communications centers have the tools and knowledge they need to best protect our communities, our patients and themselves," the First Flight spokesperson said.