In the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, we have seen how millions of people have switched from Medicaid to their own health insurance. The switch has not only been financially motivated, but also out of concern. However, some dangerous coverage has been uncovered that could bankrupt you and that you should be aware of to put more control.
Health insurance´s key coverage: attention if you´re not paying for this
Very rarely a person convincingly understands how much air ambulance costs until he is faced with the enormous bill. In the time it takes to make a turn, it is possible to have an expensive helicopter transport for the hospital after an accident costing more than $100k in the United States.
These are not figures to take lightly, with the average medical air ambulance transport expensive (20 times the cost of ground ambulance) at $40,000 per bill! Different from other medical emergencies and private companies, the fees declared by air ambulance are not controllable in critical cases.
In a moment’s notice, air ambulance in health insurance may seem unneeded even ridiculous – only after you or a beloved one finds yourself in a perilous health condition do you see the need. But, have you realised about the skyrocketing costs of this coverage due to inflation?
Why are air ambulances so expansive? The most recent figures, at detail
The majority of insurance plans have coverage for air ambulance transportation, but hidden behind is also the patient’s pocket as they incur a significant amount of out of pocket expenditure. Here’s how it typically works, as you may know:
- Insurance can cover a large part of the air ambulance charges between 50 – 60%, which may be the highest portion of the overall bill. Nevertheless, the initial price tag is so hard to swallow that one still can get a bit of a headache, even if a number like 40-50% end up bringing tens of thousand dollars.
- The coverage is specific to the chartering of the aircraft for a patient, but not to additional fees such as the transfer of the patient to a ground ambulance or the medical care given during the flight. In these cases, the price of shipping regularly spans the cost of an air ticket.
- Going after patients balance of bills not 100% paid by insurance is more and more a recurring theme with air ambulances. They can seek these amounts to the insurer level as full billed rates instead of actual negotiated rates.
Medicare and Medicaid decided fee schedules where cap the amount of air ambulance services companies can charge for transporting beneficiaries of those programs. This can further be helpful for these patients by making it possible for them to avoid receiving unreasonably high bills.
So, do you need more coverage in your health insurance? The facts
The overwhelming majority of the air ambulance providers follow the rule that have no agreements with insurance networks, thus, they invent their own rules. The result: less of the insurance that is taken will be covered leading to higher bills paid by the customer.
Another issue is the discrepancies in air ambulance service coverage specific requirement to the in-network provider. Even with insurance, some patients are charged an unbelievable sum of money.
At the end of the day, giving insurance covers some of the most catastrophic expenses of a medical ambulance, but it is unable to guarantee paying the total of the transport. Although there is an appropriate insurance amount, outs of pocket costs remain a very tangible risk.
You see, the latest industry report shows how air ambulance coverage in your health insurance is the most volatile coverage you have. In fact, it has been impacted by inflation, the fuel crisis and insecurity in certain countries (which will only affect you if you have an international policy). In any case, it is enough to control its increase and carry out adequate planning.