Air Ambulance Cost
The cost of Air Ambulance services is something that worries most users or potential users. It is generally known that flying ambulance services are expensive, since jet flights or helicopters are costly, even over short distances. But how expensive is it really, and more importantly what factors determine if you are getting your money’s worth of services? Or when is the cost of an Air Ambulance worth it?
Air ambulances are generally hired in three circumstances: one, in short, emergency trips within cities and urban areas when patients need to be quickly moved to hospitals. Usually, helicopters are used for this purpose, and may cost around USD15000 to 25000 per hour but can totally vary depending on conditions, location, equipment, etc.
Fixed-wing jets or commercial airline stretcher services are hired for longer trips. The cost for these depends on factors such as:
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- The patient’s current location
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- The distance they need to travel
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- Patient’s medical condition
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- The number of medical staff required
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- The type of aircraft(s) needed
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- Specialist equipment required, if any
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- Airport landing, handling fees, and taxes
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- Travel required by ground ambulance
The overall cost of booking an air ambulance depends on various factors, including the number of medical staff required and the expertise needed to support the patient’s medical needs, as well as the location and cost of healthcare in these cities or countries.
The air ambulance cost will depend on the type of aircraft you need to book, according to the clinical needs of the patient, the size of aircraft required, and the equipment needed on board. It will also vary depending on how many people would like to accompany the patient on their journey, although this may not be possible depending on the patient’s medical condition.
For non-serious cases, there is a greater choice of airplanes, in which case we will deploy the most cost-effective aircraft available. All airports charge landing and aircraft handling fees, which will increase the overall air ambulance cost of your medical transport.
In recent times, demand for Air Ambulances has gone up and operating prices have more than doubled. At the minimum, a flight will set you back by USD 1,000 but in most cases, air ambulance costs will run into several times that cost. But with the right service provider by your side, such as Bluedot, we will advise on choosing good operators and lower costs as much as possible without compromising on the quality of service, equipment, or medical care.
Tips for booking an air ambulance as reported in Conde Nast Traveller in 2021:
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- While you can get your patient off the ground in as little as two hours, high demand has also resulted in a longer waitlist for bookings, so you do account for slight delays when booking. Wherever possible, book ahead to save time, money, and stress.
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- Opting for an air ambulance only if you are sure there are no other options available and basing your selection on the quality of the medical team on board.
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- It’s worth checking if your personal or corporate medical insurance covers air ambulance charges—several policies do.
There is no easy answer to the question of Air Ambulance costs as it depends on many factors, as stated before. Let’s take a detailed look at the factors which make up the cost of an air ambulance flight:
Patient’s location & Distance Travelled
These do not vary simply with distance. But they also depend on the availability of authorized flight routes, weather conditions, geography, cost of airport/ airstrip use at origin and destination, etc. But certainly, distance and time taken to drive up costs to a certain extent. For example, medical flights to/from the United States to/from other locations are estimated to be around $10,000 to $15,000 to fly from Europe and $20,000 to $28,000 to fly from Asia. Please note that these costs are only estimates, and the actual cost at the time of inquiry can vary.
Patient’s Medical Condition & Doctors Required
The patient’s medical condition may require consideration of factors like cabin pressure, altitude, etc. which may also determine the kind of flight we choose. Additionally, special conditions or ages may call for specialists in medical fields such as neonatal critical care or advanced aged critical care, or psychiatric care. Costs vary depending on the type of medical specialists and nurses deployed on the mission.
Number of Accompanying Persons
Close friends and family members can travel with patients during most ambulance flights. The total cost of the ambulance flight, therefore, depends on the number of accompanying persons. Often Air Ambulances can take one accompanying person free of charge, but taking several is also possible, especially on stretcher flights. We can work out the logistics and booking fees for you case by case.
Time & Distance from Aircraft
Often ambulance aircraft are on the move. Although we can arrange them usually at a few hours notice, we have to check their availability at the time of booking, and different approach routes or aircraft may be possible in each case. If an aircraft is located very close to the patient’s location, this may reduce air ambulance costs.
Ground Transport Requirements
As part of our bedside-to-bedside promise, we arrange for ground transport that meets
all the medical requirements of the patient. This usually involves reliable ambulance vans from our network or associated networks around the world to take the patient to and from the airplane to the hospital or home. We will calculate a final cost based on these requirements as well.
Bluedot is available anytime to assist you with costs, or any other queries you may have. If you would like an ambulance flight for an emergency or plan a medical flight in advance, then call us at +97155 188 1441 or WhatsApp chat, and we will give you specific costs and a quotation tailored to your needs.