Faqs

Frequently asked questions

General Questions

I found Jet Rescue Air Ambulance on the internet, how do I know that I can trust this company?

Selecting the right air ambulance service can be one of the most difficult challenges you may ever face in your life. With so many different companies to choose from, offering basically the same, most of the time price is the key element to take a decision.
Jet Rescue Air Ambulance can back up its claims. We make it a priority to demonstrate what we do at Jet Rescue Air Ambulance and exactly how we do it through videos, references, and testimonials, from patients, family members, hospital case managers, and corporate clients such as assistance and insurance companies. In addition Jet Rescue Air Ambulance is an active member of the AAMS and EURAMI (Association of Air Medical Services and European Aeromedical Institute.)
We know you have a lot of companies to choose from. We’re confident that if you give us the chance to serve you that you will be completely satisfied.

What is an air ambulance?

An air ambulance is a business class aircraft (ex. Hawker, Gulfstream, Lear, Cessna Citation) that has been medically customized with stretchers, advanced life support equipment, medications and a specialized flight-trained medical staff.

Why would a patient need an air ambulance?

Patients that need to be transported distances over 200 miles and require medical attention and/or are unable to tolerate sitting upright in an airliner. Jet Rescue Air Ambulance typically transports patients injured while on vacation needing to be flown home, patients with serious medical conditions needing transportation to a distant medical center that has capabilities unavailable locally, chronically ill patients who want to relocate closer to family members, and patients who are traveling outside the US and become ill or injured requiring evacuation back to the United States.
In summary:

*Extensive or urgent medical attention is needed and time is critical.
*Critical illness or injury where patient cannot be transported by commercial means.
*Injury or illness while traveling in a foreign country.
*Illness or injury requiring treatment by a specialist.

What do I need to do to prepare for a medical transport?

The only things you are responsible for are choosing a receiving hospital and physician, time and date for trip, and furnishing payment information. We can assist you in selection of a receiving facility if you are unsure of the best choices. If your travel dates are flexible, we will work with you on trip options. Jet Rescue Air Ambulance will take care of everything else – air and ground transportation, medical team, flight crew, accompanying passengers, coordinating medical personnel and facilities, filing insurance claims, and anything else that may arise. Our goal is a smooth transport for all involved.

What other services do you offer?

Jet Rescue Air Ambulance is dedicated to efficient, caring patient transport. We arrange ground and air ambulance transfers; medical escorts on airlines, cruise ships, railway, or by other commercial means; airline stretcher transports for international flights if available; and basically any affiliated service that assists in making the trip easier for patient and family. We’ll make arrangements for pets, luggage, automobiles, fellow travelers, customs (if international repatriation), hotels, insurance, facilities – anything the patient and their family need to feel comfortable and in good hands during the trip.

Are you licensed and insured?

Yes, we are fully licensed and insured. Jet Rescue Air Ambulance is an authorized Indirect Air Carrier (IAC) utilizing the services of contracted/dedicated aircraft providers that operate under their own AOC (Aircraft Operating Certificate) or FAA F.A.R. Part 135. These Air carriers have exclusive arrangements with Jet Rescue Air Ambulance but have operational control of its aircraft. Our vendors retain WYVERN and ARG/US Platinum ratings in order to ensure the safest aviation operations possible. All flight crew and medical staff maintain all required licenses and certifications. We also obtained Colorado Department of Health Services Air Ambulance License ( A-024) and Mexico Federal Air Ambulance License ( TN-003). These licenses gives us the authority to operate fixed wing air ambulance, providing basic life support, advanced life support, critical care transport, convalescent and interfacility transports.

Does Jet Rescue Air Ambulance provide international Repatriation service?

Yes. Jet Rescue Air Ambulance has extensive experience in international evacuations around the world. We can arrange for our medical team to transport the patient on a long-range aircraft or as a more cost effective solution, arrange for a stretcher to be placed on a commercial aircraft. Commercial medical escorts can be less than half the cost of a private jet. Jet Rescue Air Ambulance has evacuated patients from Mexico, Europe, Central and South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Medical

Who will provide the care?

Many air ambulance companies employ nurses and paramedics that just graduated to keep their costs down. At, Jet Rescue Air Ambulance a trained medical professional handles all phone calls 24/7/365. Our standard medical team in the US typically consists of one registered flight nurse and one critical care flight paramedic who have a minimum of 10 years of combined experience. In Mexico our team has always a Doctor on Board. Many have specialized training in critical care, emergency medicine or other specialties. Together they can handle virtually any incident that might occur during a flight. If you want to rest assured that your loved one is in capable and experienced hands, you will choose.

How many medical personnel are with the patient on each transfer?

A standard team usually consists of two medical personnel, one of whom is either a physician or a critical care flight nurse, accompany the patient on each transport. Paramedics, respiratory therapists, physician’s assistants and perfusionists are also available for transport dependent upon the patient’s needs.

What kind of training/experience do they have?

All of our medical staff is board certified; have extensive training in aviation medicine and flight physiology and have at least five years’ experience in emergency medicine. They undergo a rigorous initial orientation prior to flying with patients. Additionally, all medical personnel participate in 100 hours of didactic and clinical continuing education annually. We also perform a quality review following each trip.

What does “bedside to bedside” medical transport mean?

To ensure continuity of care, our medical team is with the patient from the very beginning. Our team arrives at the patient’s bedside at the sending facility or hospital. We meet with sending medical staff, assess the patient’s condition and perform all necessary interventions prior to departing. Our team accompanies the patient in the ground ambulance to the airfield, constantly monitoring patient condition and offering comfort and support. The Jet Rescue Air Ambulance team flies with the patient, and then accompanies the patient by ground ambulance to the receiving hospital or facility. We discuss the trip with the receiving medical staff to ensure that they are up to date on the patient’s current condition. Mission is completed successfully.

What is "bedside to bedside" service and why is it important?

Although many companies do not provide this service, Jet Rescue Air Ambulance considers that bedside to bedside service is very important. It allows our crews to maintain continuity in care, even while on the ground ambulance and also insures that a detailed medical report is given to the receiving medical staff.we provide this service on every flight.

What equipment and medications are on board the aircraft?

Standard medical equipment includes: FAA Certified Lifeport (self-contained) stretcher, oxygen,suction and medical air, volumetric ventilator, cardiac monitor/defibrillator, multiparameter Invasive and non-invasive monitoring,resuscitation equipment, advanced airway management equipment, 3 channel infusion pump, IV, ACLS drug complement, and any other specialty equipment necessary for each individual patient. Jet Rescue Air Ambulance also carries the most proactive array of antibiotics for bacterial and parasitic infections in the air ambulance industry.

Financial

How much does air ambulance transport cost?

Patient transport via air ambulance is not inexpensive. But it is often the safest, fastest way to get a patient into the best hands for urgent medical care. Jet Rescue Air Ambulance is committed to finding the most cost effective transportation without compromising the quality of care. Call 1-877-704-8396 and we’ll quickly provide a free no-obligation quote for you.

Are all costs included in your quote?

Yes a written quote will be provided. No surprises, no hidden costs!
Included in an air ambulance quote are ground ambulance, medical personnel, flight crew, equipment and medicines and the flight itself.

What forms of payment does Jet Rescue Air Ambulance accept?

During this critical time, finances are the last thing you want to worry about. We try to make the financial aspect easier by working with each individual patient to create the most logical, sensibly priced transport package. In addition, we accept various forms of payment for your convenience.
All major credit cards, Bank wire transfers, Cash, Cashier’s checks and Money orders

Is there a less expensive alternative to air ambulance transport?

In cases where the patient is more stable and time is less critical, we can provide the following alternative methods of transport if available:

*Long range ground transport. We transport the patient via ground ambulance staffed with two drivers, medical personnel, equipment and medications

*Commercial flight with medical escort. Patient is accompanied by an ER or ICU Physician, Critical Care Flight Nurse or Critical Care Flight Paramedic (and of course all necessary medical equipment) on a commercial airline.

*Commercial airline stretcher service. For international flights only. We arrange with the airline to remove several passenger seats from the rear of the aircraft to accommodate patient, stretcher, medical personnel, and equipment
Call 1-877-704-8396 for an in-depth discussion of the patient’s medical transport needs.

If I must pay out of pocket, how much might the service cost?

Many factors determine the final cost of an air ambulance transport. The primary factors being the distance flown, the type of aircraft utilized, and the medical needs of the patient in flight. A Domestic transport of modest distance in a twin engine aircraft could cost as little as $3,00 to $5,000. On the other hand, the cost of a cross country transport of a very critically ill patient in a long range jet would increase commensurately. Fortunately, as a direct provider of Air Ambulance Services, Jet Rescue Air Ambulance can minimize these costs! Through efficient scheduling and special one-way pricing arrangements many clients can see final costs on the lower end of the ranges.

Insurance

Does insurance cover air ambulance transport?

The simplest answer, "Sometimes": There are a number of factors involved with determining whether or not an insurance carrier will pay for air ambulance and ground ambulance transportation. Each patient situation is unique and provides many different nuances that are not clearly definable within a given formula. In order to best determine whether or not you, your family, your friend, or your patient's insurance will cover the costs of air medical transportation, contact one of our Flight Coordinators. Although Most insurance plans, HMO's, PPO’s and IPO's cover air ambulance services. It is important to check your plan to see that there is an air ambulance benefit and what the criteria is. Most plans require that medical necessity is met. This means that a physician must certify that the transportation by air ambulance is indicated and that transportation by other means may endanger the patient. Some plans require that the transport is a life threatening emergency or that the destination is the closest appropriate facility. In addition, be sure to check if there is a maximum benefit and what the benefit level is ( for example a 80% benefit level means the family must pay 20% of the charges ).

What will you do to get my insurance to pay for the flight?

Most air ambulance companies will at least submit a claim to your insurance company though some will not. Jet Rescue Air Ambulance does much more! Our flight coordination department reviews your insurance policy before the flight and we work with your doctor and other medical personnel to increase the likelihood of insurance coverage. We submit the claim to insurance and aggressively fight to get the coverage you deserve. Instead of dealing on your own with the frustration of the insurance bureaucracy, we handle it at no additional cost so you can focus on your loved one

What is “medical necessity”?

In an effort to provide a standard definition of "Medical Necessity" and to establish a standard set of practices performed by Private Insurance Carriers, the American Medical Association put together the "Model Managed Care Contract". In this Model, the American Medical Association defines "Medical Necessity" as the following:

*Health care or services that a prudent physician would provide to a patient for the purposes of preventing, diagnosing, or treating an illness, injury, disease, or its symptoms in a manner that is: (a) in accordance with generally accepted standards of medical practice;

*(b) clinically appropriate in terms of frequency, extent, site, and duration; and

*(c) not primarily for the economic benefit of the health plans and purchasers or for

*the convenience of the patient, treating physician, or other health care provider.

If my physician gives Jet Rescue Air Ambulance a "Letter of Medical Necessity", my insurance carrier will cover the flight, right?

It does not mean that your insurance carrier will cover the flight. Often times in your contract between the insurance carrier, yourself, and often times your employer, "sole discretion (or decision making abilities)" is left to the Medical Director at the insurance company. What this means is that your "treating physician" may tell you that you need some form of healthcare procedure, service, or diagnostic exam and the physician at the insurance company may tell you that the procedure, service or diagnostic exam is not medically necessary. When this Medical Director tells you that the service or procedure is not medically necessary, you are left with few options. Nevertheless, it is best if you are seeking approval from an insurance company for air ambulance or ground ambulance services, to contact us first.

Does your company help patients file insurance paperwork?

Jet Rescue Air Ambulance goes well beyond "just helping file your insurance paperwork". While most air medical transportation providers will tell you "we help file your insurance paperwork", Jet Rescue Air Ambulance realizes that this can be just the beginning to what is a long and daunting journey with your insurance company.

Jet Rescue Air Ambulance will work with you from the beginning all the way through the end in order to assist you with obtaining the benefits you may have within your insurance plan. When you first call Jet Rescue Air Ambulance you will speak with a "Flight Coordinator" with expertise in making the arrangements for your air or ground medical transportation. As you begin to work with the flight coordinators they will obtain all the necessary files that are required to expedite the claims process. These files are absolutely necessary in order to put forth the absolute best possible case with your insurance company.

Aircraft

How do you determine which aircraft is right for each patient?

Factors we take into consideration when choosing the aircraft are patient’s condition, length of flight, and number of passengers traveling with the patient. All aircraft are equipped with the same life sustaining medical equipment and flight-experienced medical teams.

How many pilots are on board?

All aircraft have two pilots on board with the highest FAA rating ATP (Airline Transport Pilot).

Are meals served on the plane?

Yes, we offer catered meals for family members and for patients if there are no diet restrictions for flights over 3.5 hours and longer when available. We will accommodate special diets and special requests.

May a family member come with the patient?

Normally yes and there is no additional charge. There is however cases where our Medical Director may not approve a family member for a variety of reasons that may impede patient care.

How many family members can travel with the patient?

This is determined by the type of aircraft used to transport the patient, the number of medical personnel on board, the patient’s condition, length of the flight, and medical equipment needed. On the larger aircraft (Gulfstream, for example), up to five family members can fly with the patient. If the patient is traveling in a light jet (i.e., Learjet 35), up to 3 family members could travel with the patient.

How much luggage can patients/passengers bring?

Generally, there is room for no more than 2 small pieces ("carry on type pieces") of luggage due to the significant space utilized by onboard medical equipment and personnel. We will make arrangements to ship other luggage and non-essentials for the patient and family members.

Are pets allowed on board?

We understand how important pets can be to patients and family, and we take this into consideration. We would need to know size and weight of animal before determining whether the pet can accompany the patient. We would also ask that the pet be up to date on vaccinations and confined to a pet carrier during the flight. We will gladly arrange for your pet to be transported commercially if there is not enough space on the air ambulance aircraft.