||| FROM TOM EVANS |||
Worried you may need to be air ambulanced off Island, and not a member of the right air ambulance carrier? Or, you will be socked with a bill of 20K +. Listen up. I have good news. You don’t actually have to be a member until just before the wheels leave the ground – as long as you have some form of insurance, no matter how skinny – Medicaid/Medicare/High Deductible individual – any insurance which may not even cover air ambulance.
What’s the big deal with stickers and ads “Get membership in ___ or you won’t be safe and will be sorry.” It’s just the opposite – sign up when your gurney is shoved into the helicopter/airplane and you will be safe and won’t be sorry.
Why so much worry by so many Islanders? The only thing these services are after is an assignment of benefits from whatever insurance you have. Case in point: my wife and I both were air ambulanced to Bellingham. My bill: 30k. Her bill: 40k. Insurance – Medicare. We
signed up inside the OIFR ambulance. Amount each of us paid: $0.
Plus the service was excellent, staffed by caring medical professionals. Everything was covered, from front door to ER room. Faster/better than Seattle. I know based on actual service in both places.
Disclaimer. Circumstances can change or vary greatly. Don’t just rely of this letter. Prove it for yourself. Call any of the three OIFR services-Airlift NW 888-835-1599 Island Air Ambulance 360-378-2376 Life Flight 800-982-9299. Happy Landings!
Oh Tom, what a great letter. And I just loved your lawyerly disclaimer. Thank you for this info.
Provided you are conscious.
I appreciate Tom’s info, and that the air transport agencies are being so generous in letting people sign up as they are being transported, or shortly thereafter. That being said, the memberships for ALNW/LFN/IAA are not that expensive compared to the cost of a transport. If all patients that were transported by these fine agencies were to sign up AFTER the 911 call, they would most likely have to change their policies with regards to this generosity, and or charge more for memberships. Please reserve the generosity shown by these agencies for situations like: A patient wasn’t aware of all 3, and only got the ALNW membership, but due to availability, IAA or LFN transported them. An unconscious person who didn’t have any of the three memberships, and was unable to sign up in the moment. All three of these agencies provide an amazing service in the islands. Please support them with their respective memberships, and give yourself the peace of mind of one less thing to worry about during an emergency.