Category: General Health

Can Family Travel With the Patient in an Air Ambulance?

Can Family Travel With the Patient in an Air Ambulance?

When a loved one is dealing with serious medical conditions, everyone wants to help and be supportive. The family of the patient wants to be involved and informed about what is going on. Just like the doctors and medical staff, a patient’s loving family wants what is best for the patient. When the patient must be transported, many issues of concern arise. If a loved one must fly in an air ambulance, can someone from the family come along for support?

The goal of transporting the patient is often to reach qualified healthcare quickly and conveniently. This is especially true for many patients whose lives are dependent on the speed in which they get to the appropriate hospital and treatment. In some cases, the patient will fly in an air ambulance just a short distance to a local hospital, in other cases, a patient may travel across the globe for medical services.

Each specific case is looked at individually. There is no one right answer to this question. In some cases, it is imperative to the patient that they only travel in the air ambulance with the medical staff. Frequently, this is due to space limitations in the aircraft. For example,, if the patient has just been involved in a severe car accident and must be air lifted to a trauma hospital in a helicopter, there may not be adequate room aboard the aircraft for the medical personnel to properly care for the patient if another person is seated in the area.

On the other hand, if the patient must fly long distances for medical treatment, larger jet aircrafts may be more suited to the medical mission. If this should be the case, chances are high that there will be the necessary room for a member of the family to accompany the patient safely while en route to the destination.

Doctors, medical staff, and family all know that the patient is more relaxed when they can travel with someone they know and care about. For this reason, whenever possible, accommodations for a support person are made during the trip in an air ambulance. Of course, if the medical mission is compromised by the addition of another person into the cabin, for any reason, family members will be asked to refrain and meet the patient at the destination by using other forms of travel.

During this stressful time, all efforts are made to make the patient the most comfortable and relaxed as possible, while keeping safety as the top priority. If someone wants to accompany the patient on the air ambulance to the destination, by all means, ask. If it is feasible, the medical staff will welcome the family member aboard the aircraft. If the request is denied, take heart that the decision was based solely on the safety of the patient and the flight crew.

Travel by air ambulance can be a complicated issue, but the mission is to safely get the patient from the point of origin to the destination as quickly as possible. In some cases, patients are not permitted a support person during the flight, but whenever possible, a family member is encouraged to travel with the patient.

Business Travelers Need Air Ambulance Service Coverage

Do you travel frequently away from home due to your specific job requirements? Business travel has increased dramatically over the past few decades. More and more, men and women are sent hundreds of miles away from home to perform business duties. In many cases, travelers are even sent out of their home country on business.

The good business traveler comes prepared for the trip with all of the appropriate luggage, business files, and a laptop, but often something is missing. You may think you leave home fully prepared for the trip, but in reality, you are vulnerable. The business traveler may not be prepared for a medical emergency during the trip. Emergencies can happen anytime and anywhere. Just for this reason, people who travel away from home on frequent business trips should be prepared for such an emergency.

Although no one ever wants to use air ambulance services, it is possible that such a need may arise. The cost of a trip in an air ambulance can be extremely expensive. Fees can range from $10,000 to $75,000 per trip.

Business travelers really should consider purchasing air ambulance service coverage for those times when they are away from home. Not all air ambulance service coverage providers offer equal coverage. Carefully read the fine-print and examine the policy with caution. It is important to know when air ambulance service is covered, when it is available, and at what charge to you.

Do your best to select a plan that will allow you to be transported by a medically staffed air ambulance under any health condition. Be certain that you are able to determine the destination. It won’t be helpful to be dropped off at some random hospital along the route that is still miles from home. It is important that you be transported to the hospital of your choice, especially if you are concerned about being near family or at a hospital in your health insurance network.

Locating an air ambulance service coverage

Plan that has no conditions about pre-existing health conditions is very important. As you read the details of the coverage plan, try to look for any loopholes that exclude coverage. If too many exclusions apply, look elsewhere for reputable coverage.

Companies and corporations can supply air ambulance service coverage for business travelers at a reduced rate to the employees or as part of a benefits package. Speak to your employer today to find out if this option is available for you. If coverage is not available through your employer, it is wise to search for this coverage on your own to protect yourself, your family, and your finances.

The next time you travel away from home, don’t just grab your files and your computer. Bring with you confidence and peace of mind that you are covered in an emergency. Should you need to be transported by an air ambulance while away on business, you will know that you can protect your wallet with service coverage. When an emergency arises, you can quickly be transferred to a hospital near home and family without incurring the outrageous expense.

Benefits of NICU Air Ambulance Services

A medical mission is always an important flight. The crew on an air ambulance takes each and every flight to heart and treats the patient as if they were one of the family. This fact is never more true than when the air ambulance contains a NICU patient.

There are few things in life scarier than knowing your child is in distress. The sight of a tiny newborn attached to wires and leads, tubes and IV drips, can be extremely disturbing. As new parents, such a vision tends to stab into their hearts, but rest assured that the tiny baby is in good hands. If the doctor orders travel via an air ambulance for the infant, know that the child will be receiving continuous medical monitoring and treatment during the entire trip, from bedside to bedside.

Each air ambulance specially staffed for NICU treatment has all the appropriate medical tools and equipment to do the job. Whether the NICU is on the ground or in the air, newborns receive the best care possible. Don’t fret that the child will be traveling with just a single nurse or basic EMT. In many cases, an entire NICU team will escort the child to the destination. Not for a mere second will the baby be lacking appropriate medical attention and care.

The equipment on board an air ambulance includes ventilators, cardiac monitoring and treatment devices, and other specialized equipment to handle any emergency. The flying NICU in the air ambulance is well equipped and staffed for the mission at hand.

In many cases, the mother and father may accompany the child during the air ambulance flight. Although in some rare instances this may not be the case, it is encouraged whenever possible. The doctors and staff know the benefits of the parent and child bond. Rest assured that all efforts will be made to include parents during each step of the process of transport whenever it is deemed medically feasible. If for some reason, a parent or parents must stay behind, know that it is in the best interest of the child at such a critical time.

When travel by a conventional ambulance is not enough, an air ambulance is called in to transport the patient safely and quickly to the desired destination. In some cases, this flight may be several hundred miles or halfway around the globe. Regardless of the point of origin or the destination, air ambulance travel is a safe alternative for patients. This is true for any NICU patient requiring special transport and monitoring.

Although the air ambulance is equipped with devices and tools for adult patients, the special needs of NICU patients are met, as well. Each and every flight on an air ambulance is specifically staffed with the appropriate medical team to suit the situation. All pertinent medical equipment is on board the aircraft to treat the NICU patient safely and effectively.

Any parent learning that their child requires air ambulance transport can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the air ambulance is well-suited for the job. The equipment and staff on board the flight transform the aircraft into a flying NICU that can handle any emergency.

Benefits of CAMTS Certification for Air Ambulance Services

As you shop around for an air ambulance service, you may be confused about all the details. How do you know which air ambulance service is best? If you are looking for air ambulance transportation that is high-quality and lives up to standards, then look for a service that is CAMTS certified.

What does CAMTS mean? The initials CAMTS stand for Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services. Companies who are accredited by CAMTS receive several benefits. Although the company must incur some cost and time commitment for the certification, the company who receives such an honor will appreciate the time and money invested.

The air ambulance service that is certified by CAMTS may have lowered insurance premiums due to the quality commitment and high safety standards. Local, state, and federal government may recognize the CAMTS certified air ambulance company. Such certified air ambulance services may be granted contracts only available to certified companies. The credibility attained by CAMTS certification is prestigious among other medical transport companies and the public.

Customers will note the CAMTS certification and know that they are securing a flight with a dependable air ambulance service. The commitment to excellence seen only by CAMTS certified companies will provide confidence to the customer. During stressful times, it can be hard to know that you are making the right decision about medical issues, but choosing a CAMTS certified air ambulance will make the decision easier.

Because no federal or state regulations exist to standardize many of the practices associated with air ambulance transport, it is difficult to determine which companies are best and which companies simply will do the job. CAMTS certified companies are required to meet minimum standards that indicate the company is providing excellent service that focuses on patient comfort and safety.

The company interested in certification begins by critically assessing their own organization. This helps the air ambulance service note their strengths and weaknesses. In time, inspectors come to the site of the service to assess the company and their practices. With this amount of scrutiny, it is no doubt that the company has the opportunity to perfect any problems.

Measurements are taken in regards to communication, administration, education, and maintenance. If the air ambulance company fails to meet the minimum requirements, they will not receive the CAMTS certification. While companies who do not have the certification may, in fact, meet the standards, there is no way to judge this fact. Customers selecting only CAMTS certified air ambulance services can be certain that such minimum standards are met. Periodically, certified companies are re-evaluated to ensure quality.

Certification from the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services offers several benefits for the air ambulance service. Among prestige and lower insurance premiums, the company will get more business. Customers in search of a high-quality air ambulance service will be able to easily separate the CAMTS certified companies from the rest of the pack. CAMTS certification is a win-win situation for both air ambulance companies and potential customers of the service.