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Why Didn't the Hospital Use an Air Ambulance for Your Loved One?

30 March 2017

Edward Payne

Watching a loved one suffer from a health problem is difficult to manage, and it can feel even worse if you don't think they handled the situation properly. For example, they may not have called the air ambulance to take a loved one away. Why do health specialists decide to not use this speedy delivery system?

Why the Air Ambulance Is Called

Air ambulances are fast transportation methods that are used in situations that call for it. For example, serious trauma victims often require the use of an air ambulance because immediate treatment is so necessary. Other instances in which an air ambulance is used include:

• Transplant and organ donations
• Serious traffic accidents
• Managing treatment of the elderly
• Moving travelers to their home country
• Treating disaster victims away from the dangerous site
• Transporting patients in isolated rural areas

These cases all require the use of an air ambulance because of its unique and specialized care treatments. When an air ambulance is not called for a patient, there are usually many good reasons for it. Understanding why can help a person better know why this transportation method was not used with their loved one.

The Situation May Not Have Been Severe Enough

Even with instances when an air ambulance is typically used, there is a chance that the individual examples of it were not severe enough to require the use of one. While air ambulances are a great way to get a person to a health facility, specialists typically use a system known as F.A.L.T.E.R. as a way of gauging whether or not an air ambulance is necessary.

Each letter of this acronym indicates a different aspect that is measured carefully before an air ambulance is used. For example, the F stands for fear or the danger the specialists feel that the patient is in due to their condition. If their fear isn't severe enough or the case not problematic enough, air ambulances are typically not used.

Cost May Also Have Been a Factor

Air ambulances are typically covered partially or even fully by most insurances. However, there are some cases in which the patient may end up paying part of their movement cost. Estimates claim that each air ambulance flight costs about $7,400 or so. While not one of the most expensive types of medical treatment on the market, doctors typically try to minimize a patient's payment as much as possible.

Often this includes finding the least costly transportation methods. In cases when the person's health isn't immediately in danger, air ambulances are typically not the least expensive method. However, if a person needs to get to a medical facility immediately, there is no quicker or less expensive method. In fact, air ambulances can be a lifesaver in these moments.

So if health specialists did not use an air ambulance, there is no reason to be angry. This situation means that their health problem was simply not dangerous enough to require it. While an essential part of any medical treatment providers transportation methods, air ambulances are best utilized in specialized cases.

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