The air ambulance industry has been quite vocal in its opposition to the proposed changes in the air ambulance plan. According to the new plan, the state would call for bids and the organization that wins would then provide air ambulance services to the state. This would translate into the winner maintaining all relevant bases and maintaining a fleet large enough to cater to the entire state.
Of course, the logical path forward for the service provider would be to subcontract some of the reach. Two of the largest hospitals in the state have now raised concerns regarding this model. They have highlighted that the winner of the bid would not necessarily cater to different specialties and this could create problems.
The Hospitals in Question are Concerned about Pediatric Care
Pediatric patients need special care and there are specific air ambulance services at present that offer such services. The management of these hospitals have questioned the lawmakers regarding this and urged that the proposed changes be rejected.
The hospitals have requested that the government ensure pediatric medical necessities are catered to. The CEOs of these hospitals have written directly to the federal government. They have gone as far as saying the change would “threaten the health of Wyoming children.”
Why are the Hospitals Opposing Air Ambulance Plan Changes?
The supporters of the proposed changes have openly questioned the intent behind the opposition by hospital managements. They allege that the stand comes in the backdrop of the fact that it would change the referral model and would impact the revenue of the hospitals.
They further highlighted that the hospitals had enough time to raise concerns during the initial period when the proposed changes were being drafted. However, these healthcare organizations chose not to raise the concern at the appropriate time, alleged the supporters of the plan change.
All said and done, it must be noted that air ambulance cost in Wyoming remains among the highest in the country and the trend certainly warrants urgent attention.
