How Much Does An Air Ambulance Cost

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How Much Does an Air Ambulance Cost?

If you’re like most people, you don’t book an air ambulance ride very often. This specialized medical transportation method can involve some expensive services, and prices can vary widely depending on the provider. While each flight is unique, most air ambulance providers consider similar factors when determining their prices. Understanding these factors is a great starting point for knowing how much an air ambulance costs.

How Much Is an Air Ambulance?

The answer to this question is far from straightforward. Air ambulances often come with a range of costs that correspond to variations in the type of care and the resources provided. Since most air ambulance companies are for-profit, you will see some providers offering basic packages and others meeting the highest medical care standards with luxury amenities.

At AirCARE1, we provide remarkable air ambulance services to patients who must travel for medical care. We analyze each situation on a case-by-case basis to offer the most cost-effective solutions. When you request a quote, we’ll calculate your costs based on your circumstances.

Here is an average breakdown of what our costs look like for Air Ambulance medical flights across North America:

Flights out of Mexico to the US cost, on average, $27k with prices starting from $22k
Flights back to Canada from the US cost, on average, $32k with prices starting from $25k
Flights from coast-to-coast cost, on average, $55k with prices starting from $45k
Flights along the East Coast cost, on average, $24k with prices starting from $20k
Flights along the West Coast cost, on average, $25k with prices starting from $18k

Factors That Affect the Cost of an Air Ambulance

Like commercial flights, air ambulance flights can vary widely. If you fly with a budget airline, you might get charged for elements that are often included, like carry-on bags or snacks. You could also pay more to fly in a special environment, like business or first class. Air ambulance providers also have various options and different ways of charging you for their services. You can better choose an appropriate air ambulance provider by learning what elements affect air ambulance costs.

Some cost factors for an air ambulance transport include:

Distance Traveled

Unsurprisingly, longer flights typically cost more. A longer flight requires more fuel, more wages paid to the staff, and more medical care delivered in flight. Coordinating international flights can also create more challenges and increase costs. Mileage might be a large or small part of your costs, depending on whether you opt for our fixed or variable fee options. Our dedicated customer representatives will break all these down for you before you book an ambulance flight with us.

Level of Care

More intense medical needs may increase the price of an air ambulance. A fragile or unstable patient could require more sophisticated equipment or a larger care team to respond to issues. Patient basic care can also vary widely, with some patients needing more dedicated care than others.

You may also see different prices for different expertise levels, but with us, you only pay a fair cost for the most attentive, skilled, and super-organized team. They’ll care for you and swiftly manage all the technical aspects of flying and landing a jet safely. We’re guided by the principle of doing what is right for our patients at all times, so you can trust us not to cut corners on qualifications to save costs.

Some elements that signify we’re a team of well-qualified care specialists include:

Care team experience: Our team consists of highly experienced practitioners with high-level training and certifications in complex environments like the intensive care unit (ICU) and neonatal care.
Flight crew experience: Our flight crew is made up of highly experienced pilots. Our Captains, for instance, have a minimum of 3,000 hours of experience and the highest certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Ongoing education: We uphold a high standard of requirements for everyone involved in our medical transportation — from the communications team to the flight crew. They participate in ongoing education to ensure the most up-to-date knowledge and safety of our patients.
Our company’s accreditations: Industry accreditations attest to a provider’s ability to provide a service according to standards after a rigorous review process and ongoing inspections. We have accreditations from the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) that can indicate quality care delivery.

Quality of Equipment

The quality of medical equipment and the aircraft itself are essential for effective and efficient transport services. Advanced technology and resources are crucial for appropriate care, but they are costly. At AirCARE1, we use top-notch equipment and charge fair prices for all our transport services.

Our excellent equipment is here to provide you with medical assistance faster and help us transport you efficiently. For instance, our aircraft fly higher than most commercial planes, allowing our team to avoid weather-related turbulence for a smoother ride. It adds comfort for the patients and helps the care team work in a steady environment. We also ensure the plane’s interior is comfortable and spacious, giving patients a low-stress experience and giving the care team more room to work.

Once our aircraft return from transports, we ensure they’re checked and serviced according to FAA regulations to prepare them for their next flights. A poorly maintained plane creates incredible risk, so our well-trained maintenance team and strict maintenance processes keep us flying.

Additional Services

Services outside of basic medical care can also contribute to your air ambulance costs. For example, ground transportation from the air ambulance to another destination, such as a long-term care facility, can increase the overall price.

Another example of extra services is holistic medical care. Our patients receive resources rooted in holistic care to make the flight more relaxing and comfortable. Some examples include music, hand massages, aromatherapy, and conversation. Most of these services are low in price but can transform the experience.

AirCARE1’s Ethical Pricing Approach

Our desire to achieve change and see a different approach to air ambulance pricing has kept us rising and has sustained us at the top of the industry. We have achieved this by addressing some serious pain points in the market:

Exaggerated prices: While air ambulance services can be costly on their own, many providers ramp up prices even further. They add extraordinary markups to these services, gouging patients in need without concern for their financial situations. We only charge what is rightfully economical for serving you.
Deceptively low initial prices: Other providers might offer deceptively low prices initially, then add extra charges during or after your flight without explaining them. We explain all costs before booking, and we never add unscrupulous hidden charges to your quote.
Subpar services: Other providers may offer subpar services that are inadequate, stressful, or uncomfortable to match their low charges. To address this, we only charge what’s enough to economically sustain the excellent services we offer you.

At AirCARE1, we strive to make high-quality air ambulance services accessible with an ethical approach to pricing. We offer full transparency and fair costs, and we will not nickel-and-dime you with surprise charges during or after the flight.

About Our Services

At AirCARE1, we care for our patients with empathy and compassion and want to see them get back to their healthy selves as soon as possible. That’s why we invest in continual staff training to ensure our employees are the best at what they do. When you call us, you can book any of the following nonemergency services:

Air ambulance transports
Commercial medical escorts
Specialty medical transports

Our Service Benefits

Trusting us to be your go-to air ambulance provider is an honor we don’t take lightly. We ensure you experience the following service benefits while on board:

High-quality bedside-to-bedside care delivered by trained and certified medical professionals who specialize in air transport
Holistic services to promote comfort, relaxation, and an optimal environment for patient health
A fleet of capable air ambulance aircraft that fly higher, faster, and smoother than most commercial jets maintained by a team of licensed airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanics.
Medical equipment on par with what you would find in a medical facility, including intensive care facilities
Air Ambulance accreditation from CAMTS
Experienced pilots, many of whom hold some of the highest certifications available from the FAA

Since we put these benefits into every flight, you can be confident that your quoted price includes exceptional holistic care from our attentive, qualified team.

Get a Transparent Quote From AirCARE1 Today

AirCARE1 is built on the mission of doing right by our patients. Unlike some of our competitors, we offer fair and realistic prices without sacrificing quality. Denise Waye, a critical care nurse, founded AirCARE1 after seeing the pitfalls of this industry. She wanted to give patients a better solution, and eliminating price gouging is just one of the ways we reach that goal.

Tell us about your situation to get an honest quote on air ambulance transport today!

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Denise Waye

Denise Waye is the Founder and President of AirCARE1. Her career as a critical care registered nurse started in 1994 revealing her many years of experience in the field. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from the University of New Mexico and has worked in a variety of critical care patient settings including ICU, CCU, and the emergency department. Shortly after becoming a flight nurse with another provider, Denise founded AirCARE1 in 2004 on the premise of providing unmatched patient care with a holistic approach along with outstanding customer service.