When arranging patient transfer, one of your first concerns is likely to be the cost of the air ambulance service. How much will it cost overall?
The cost of a medical flight can vary widely depending on several conditions; in contrast to a commercial airline, the cost of a medical flight is not set in stone. It’s because every patient has unique needs.
A reliable and compassionate air ambulance service will assess your situation and provide a quote that’s tailored to your specific requirements.
An air ambulance saves many lives every year. According to research, 18 million people lose their lives due to the unavailability of timely ambulance services. With air ambulances at disposal, this number can go down significantly. But is the cost a huge factor?
The cost of your air ambulance transports is determined automatically, taking into account your individual requirements and intended route. To what extent do the specifics of your situation play into Medical Air Service’s price estimate?
Let’s learn more about that –
The following variables affect how much an air ambulance costs:
- Location and destination of the patient
- How to describe the plane that will be flown
- More people and medical supplies
- Transportable ambulances that operate on the ground
- Due to the time-sensitive nature of the task,
- Costs associated with approval and administration
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Location & Destination Of The Patient
This is significant since it establishes the path the air ambulance will follow and, consequently, the amount of fuel required. Sometimes the cost is proportional to the gap between the two places, although this is not always the case. However, the path the medical aircraft will take after taking off from one place is much more important than the distance between the two. They take into account the patient’s comfort and other aspects when selecting the best route for transfer.
Kind Of Plane Used
There is a common misperception that all air ambulances operate in the same way. Despite the fact that every plane they utilize is outfitted with medical supplies, the types of planes they fly on missions are diverse. Different models exist; the difference isn’t just between helicopters and planes.
Medical repatriations and evacuations can make use of models like:
- Bombardier Challenger 300
- Business Boeing 737-800
- Bombardier Learjet 36
- Beechcraft Hawker 800
- Cessna Citation 650 Mark II and many others
They always take into account the patient’s preference when selecting an air ambulance for a medical transfer. For example, they could want a larger jet so that more people can travel with them or so that they don’t have to make as many pit stops for fuel. However, a smaller plane is your best bet if you’re looking to cut costs.
Additional Help & Medical Supplies
Keeping the patient’s well-being in mind at all times, they never settle for subpar medical attention during travel. This is why the air ambulance sector has rapidly grown up to worth $4.5 billion.
For this reason, in addition to the standard intensive care unit equipment found in the air ambulances, they are also able to bring in specialized medical equipment and doctors if necessary, depending on the patient’s condition.
For instance, pediatric incubators are used on medical flights for infants so that they can remain in a controlled environment that maintains an ideal temperature, humidity, and light levels—all of which are critical for healthy organ development—during the voyage.
Similarly, while a doctor and paramedic accompany all of the air ambulance flights, they also have specialists on call to provide additional treatment to those who need it. An infant having trouble breathing might be transported via air ambulance, to provide just one example. To help with this situation, they flow with a pediatric team specializing in breathing disorders.
Transporting Patients Through Ground Ambulances
Every step of the way, from arrival at the hospital to recovery in the patient’s bed, is taken care of by the staff. A ground ambulance crewed by medical personnel will pick them up from their residence, hotel, or care facility and transport them to the airport.
Another ground ambulance will be waiting for the patient upon his arrival, and they will transport him to his final destination, which may be a hospital, a relative’s home, the patient’s own home, a hospice, or some other location. This eliminates a potential source of stress for patients by making arrangements for their ground transportation.
Their packages include the use of ground ambulances. As a result, patients can save money on their air ambulance ride by arranging their own ground transportation.
The Critical Nature Of The Air Ambulance Flight
Medical Air Service can arrange a last-minute air ambulance trip depending on the circumstances and the patient’s condition. Indeed, they can generally arrange a flight for you within a day of your booking request.
However, other aircraft closer to your area being involved in other operations may have to dispatch an aircraft that is fairly far away from your location to fulfill your urgent need for an air ambulance. The first air ambulance cost is likely to increase if the flight must take off from a faraway location.
Due to the resourcefulness of this service, the air ambulance industry is expected to grow by 10.5% YoY from 2022 to 2030. In order to fly across their airspace and land at their airports, for example, they handle all of the documentation required by the respective regulatory bodies of those countries.
Airports have landing fees and de-icing fees on top of administrative expenses from regulatory agencies (if necessary). Medical Air Service also handles the permit application process if the medical evacuation/repatriation operation requires travel to a high-risk area or conflict zone. When determining how much an air ambulance will set you back, they factor in the fees that various third parties levy.