Understanding insurance is tricky enough. Sometimes, it’s hard to know exactly what your insurance covers and what it doesn’t. When choosing insurance, we don’t think too much about ambulance costs because we assume that it’s already covered.
This, unfortunately, isn’t always the case. You may be considering traveling or simply just wondering, does insurance cover air ambulance? The answer is, it depends on your insurance and what the situation you are dealing with.
Why Would You Need an Air Ambulance?
An air ambulance is in the form of any aircraft such as a helicopter or airplane. It carries medical supplies to aid you while they transport you to a medical facility.
You would need one in an emergency when a regular ambulance would not be able to provide you the aid you need. Or it can transport you to a hospital in a different location that can help your injury.
For instance, if you are traveling and are far away from a medical facility, they would send in the air ambulance to lift you out and take you where you need to go. Air ambulances are usually used for those who have injuries such as burns, strokes, spinal cord injury, heart attacks, transplant, or a head injury.
There are plenty of air ambulance services out there that give you an in-depth description of what they do. They offer quotes of domestic and international medical escort fees so you have an idea of the services offered.
How Much Does an Air Ambulance Cost?
Air ambulances are quite costly, which is another reason why you should really pay attention to what your insurance covers or you’ll be stuck with a hefty bill.
The cost of an air ambulance starts roughly around $28,000. In the case that you are in an international and distant location, the costs will surpass $100,000.
Does Insurance Cover Air Ambulance?
If you’re traveling somewhere, it’s best to purchase travel insurance that’d cover medical transport bu air ambulance. When looking into travel policies, take time to look into what’s covered.
If being transported to a facility near your home is important, then look for that. Otherwise, you will most likely just be transported to a facility that is close and will provide you aid.
In terms of your insurance, air ambulances are covered on a case-by-case basis. It would have to be a proven “medical necessity” to be covered. What this means is that a medical professional would have to determine that you need care from a different facility because the one you’re at cannot provide the specific care you need.
If this is not the case, the chances of having insurance cover your bill are slim to none. You can always ask your insurance company to add on the coverage of air ambulatory services to your already existing policy.
Moving Forward
If you’ve booked a trip and skipped out on travel insurance, it’s best to go back and look at policies regarding air ambulances. Once you call your insurance and clarify what their policies are, you will no longer wonder, does insurance cover air ambulance? Having peace of mind is very important, especially when dealing with the aftermath of emergencies.
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