A patient will have adverse reactions due to an increase in altitude
If you are flying in a pressurized airplane most cabin pressures will be set to 8,000 ft. or below. The body does not change dramatically at this elevation. Think of all the people living in Denver at an altitude of 5,280.
It blows me away how many air ambulance companies sell their Beech Jets, Lear Jets, or Citations based on luxury. When you are in the back of an ambulance, you don’t care if the seats next to you have custom embroidery with leather stitching. You’re hoping that the guy watching your vital signs knows what the heck he is doing. A jet may sounds sexy, but medical transportations are not.
Doctors and nurses both operate in extremely controlled environments with a large amount of resources. Nurses are important because they know the in’s and out’s of managing a patient once admitted. Paramedics are extremely valuable because they are comfortable with packaging patients up, using only what is available, and making the best out of a difficult situation. Doctors on the other hand are good at fixing. The patient does not need to be cured in-flight, they need to get to their destination safe and effectively.
I love all these websites that have Bombardier Challengers and Gulfstreams with red crosses photo-shopped in. Point is, bigger is not better…bigger is more expensive. It would be like you got in a motor vehicle accident and requested a stretch Hummer limo (with a hot tub in it) to take you to the hospital versus an ambulance. Unless you are going across the country, it is more than likely you do not even need a jet.
You have to determine medical necessity and then transport to the closest facility that has the capability to meet that level of care. Unfortunately, Medicare/Medicaid have a very limited scope to what they will cover.
In actuality, most air ambulances are similar in size. Some have newer, bigger airplanes (which you will pay for) and some have mid-sized to small airplanes. The providers that are out there are all surprisingly similar. The important aspect is who you trust, who is located close to the transferring/receiving facility, who is timely, and who will do a good job.
I do not want to take away from a future blog where I have the privilege of writing about the ridiculousness of accredited bodies and how they result in higher costs for the patients with no added benefits. However, for just a short blurb, a company can have a million accreditations, but the only ones that matter are that provider's state accreditation (so each plane becomes certified just like an ambulance), and the FAA’s. The more money an air ambulance company throws at becoming accredited by an outside body, the more money the patient has to pay to fly. Insert derogatory word + CAMTS here....
