FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. There appears to be many “brokers” who pose as Air Ambulance providers and “arrange for services”. Should I be concerned when comparing companies?
Answer: Yes, be very careful when choosing your air transport provider. Company’s who claim to “arrange for services” or “work with aviation partners” have little to no direct operational control over aviation safety or the quality of air medical services. Brokers request quotes from multiple “partners” and the low bidder prevails to produce the greatest profit for the broker who sits by the computer and risks nothing to care for your loved one. Angel Air International is not a broker or middle-man. Our owners have direct operational control and management of our aircraft fleet and the medical services we bring to the patients side. Because of this we can control the high costs usually associated with brokered services for Air Ambulance.
2. What are my payment options; will insurance cover the cost of Angel Air ambulance transportation?
Answer: Angel Air International accepts all major credit cards and/or direct wire funds to secure your flight. Payment or insurance approval must be made ahead of the scheduled flight. In some cases your insurance provider may cover all or part of the cost of Air Ambulance transport but it depends on your policy coverage. We will work with case managers, family members or insurance providers to acquire pre-authorization and transport approval by requesting the transferring physician to complete a statement medical necessity to build a case to the insurance carrier.
3. Will Angel Air allow family or friends to fly on the air ambulance flight?
Answer: In most cases family and friends can accommodate their loved one on the flight depending on aircraft selection and weight and balance considerations given the fuel load for the distance. The Pilot in Command is the ultimate authority for this approval and all appropriate documentation must be presented prior to domestic or international flights.
4. What does an Air Ambulance flight cost?
Answer: In short, there is no one single rate that applies to every air medical flight. An Aviation operation is very expensive and so is the cost of an Air Ambulance transport. However, the price buildup for this service is based on a number of factors including distance of the transport, aircraft type determination for that distance, and the patients overall condition and medical requirements for the patient. Angel Air International will provide a price quote that includes the total cost of the entire bedside to beside transport based on these variable factors. We keep the cost of services down as much as practicable by omitting the “broker” or “middle man” and by recommending the most appropriate level of air transport for the patient. A few examples Angel Air International employs to help reduce the cost of air medical transport is we offer Air Medical Escort Services or arrange International Commercial Airline Stretcher flights whereby the patient require a medical attendant during the course of his/her trip but not necessarily a private air medical flight. Angel Air International can reduce cost by selecting available dead-leg (empty) flights from our large fleet of aircraft located across the U.S. Any reduction in flight time equals cost savings to the patient.
5. I’ve seen many news stories related to a lack of safety in the air medical industry, what is your philosophy when it comes to the safety of air medicine?
Answer: Safety is our foremost priority! Angel Air International begins by developing policies to foster a safety culture from the lowest levels of the organization to the highest levels of our executive team. While the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates and approves each Air Carrier’s Safety Program and the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) has “professionals who determine air ambulance safety”, these organizations can do very little to legislate program safety. The National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) maintains the investigative power to review safety incidents and accidents related to aviation operations. Despite FAA regulations and CAMTS mandates at the state levels, the NTSB accident database supports “Management pressure” and Pilot error” as being the major contributing factors that lead to fatal outcomes in aviation. Aviation safety begins on the ground before we ever take flight! Our safety programs are successful by fostering and inspiring a safety attitude from every employee regardless of position or rank. Individuals involved in aviation operations play the critical role in the safe and successful outcome of all program activities. They are on the front lines of ground and flight operations and directly contribute to safety on a daily basis by keeping their procedural knowledge and skills honed to a professional edge. The result is a flight team that is completely familiar with all regulations, policies and guidelines which allows the individual to always be fully prepared to make critical, informed and safe decisions both on the ground and in the air.
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