A lot has been said recently about the high bills that arise from availing life-saving services offered by air ambulance companies. Most often, the patient is not in control of whether to call for an air ambulance service but he becomes responsible for clearing the bills regardless of this fact. There has also been a push to regulate the air ambulance companies, although this move has found high amount of resistance from the industry. Amidst all this, one needs to ask self whether it is only the air ambulance companies that are pushing the cost skywards or are there other major factors that are being ignored.
Understanding the Perspective of Air Ambulance Companies
Just as patients do not get to choose medical flight services, air ambulance companies too do not get to choose patients. They simply respond to emergencies without verifying the fact whether the patient would, ultimately, be able to pay the bills or whether he has adequate insurance coverage – a fact that we often do not appreciate. It must also be noted that at times the air ambulance companies fail to get full payments from the insurance companies and the insured. These problems can compound to shut down of air ambulance companies.
What if Air Ambulance Companies Start Shutting Down?
It is quite possible that a regulation that limits the amount that an air ambulance company gets with little regard for the actual costs can adversely impact the industry. If this becomes a reality, the rural US would be affected the most. The rural United States continues to see hospitals being shut down and medical flights are slowly becoming the only source to get adequate medical treatment on time. If air ambulance companies too begin shutting down, it might lead to a situation where rural America becomes vulnerable to deprivation of adequate care during the time of need.
