Air ambulance costs are no doubt high but what goes into these charges is a mystery for most people out there. It must be noted in this context that they vary from one flight to another. The complications involved and the route that needs to be taken can impact the air ambulance billing. Considering all this, the industry must still be able to give an insight into how the costs are calculated, especially since even the insurance providers are sometimes left wondering what makes air ambulance services so expensive. It is important to note here that the air ambulance costs are of two types, fixed and variable.
What are the Fixed Costs of Air Ambulance Services?
Fixed costs go into ensuring that the patients get the care they deserve right when they need it. This includes parking the air ambulance in the hangar, regularly maintaining the aircraft to ensure its air-worthiness, training, equipment upgrade, insurance, depreciation, costs that go into ensuring certain services and experts are always on standby, and so on. The list is quite extensive. Obviously, these costs contribute to the air ambulance bills.
What are the Variable Costs of Air Ambulance Services?
Fuel, de-icing, medications, consumable medical goods, etc., are the most obvious fixed air ambulance costs. In addition, a mission might require special permits, which can cost quite a bit of money. There is also the question of ensuring perfect coordination between hospitals, airports, ground ambulances, and medical professionals. The objective behind these efforts is to ensure a seamless experience for the patients who most often are critical. However, they demand sophisticated coordination, which comes at a cost. Air ambulance companies are also expected to pay for the expertise that they seek for complicated missions. This can range from gauging the weather to predicting the kind of specialty staff that needs to be on board the air ambulance.
