Air rescues at UI Hospitals run on secret deal
"I said next time, let me die, because I'm not paying that," Brant said.
*Note: FY2018 data is only through February (
The Gazette investigated the relationship between UIHC and Air Methods because the company now owns and operates the majority of medical helicopters in
The
"As chair of the Government Oversight committee for the state of
AirCare first in
Started in 1979, UI AirCare was the first hospital-based air ambulance in
"Flying alone with the pilot made for some very interesting flights and you haven't lived until you have done one-person CPR at 5,000 feet!" Dillard wrote in an online history.
Read More: Air Rescue Stories
Medical helicopter operators pushed to improve safety
AirCare added a second helicopter in 1987, moving it to Waterloo a year later. AirCare II now is stationed there at
In
"It allows
Air Methods, founded in 1982 in
Payments kept secret
Air Methods provides the helicopters and pilots for all three AirCare sites, according to the contract The Gazette obtained through a public records request. The hospitals supply a registered nurse and a paramedic or other provider for each flight. A UI medical director oversees the clinical care provided on all AirCare flights.
Air Methods has "sole authority to bill and collect any and all non-physician service fees" from patients. Those fees and billing policies aren't outlined in the contract.
The payments Air Methods makes to UIHC for clinical care, medical direction and program management were blacked out in the 43-page document, as were payments for medical equipment and supplies.
Hospital officials refused to give The Gazette an estimate of how much Air Methods paid the public hospital for each of the last three fiscal years.
"At the advice of our counsel, the University is unable to provide the information you requested regarding the amount paid by Air Methods to UIHC since Air Methods' attorney represented that Air Methods is filing for injunctive relief to enjoin the disclosure of this information that it considers to be trade secret information,"
The Gazette has filed an application to intervene in these court proceedings to argue for openness.
Lifesaving care
There's no question air ambulances provide lifesaving services for many patients.
A 2014 study in the
Stephen and
The couple and their two older sons were on a road trip to Galena in
"In
Asher stayed in the UI's NICU for 40 days before going home with his family. The Vermeulens then received a
"We told them 'we can't pay that',"
The couple made numerous calls to their insurer, which paid the bulk of the bill, and Air Methods before negotiating an out-of-pocket payment of
"They just wanted whatever they could get," he said. "Maybe we were just lucky."
Alleged price gouging
Air Methods is facing several lawsuits across the country for alleged price gouging.
Michael and
"I said next time, let me die, because I'm not paying that." --
In a federal lawsuit filed in
Three people have complained to the
"I had an incident in December (2014)," said Brant, the
The first emergency medical technician on the scene couldn't figure out what was wrong and decided to call an air ambulance, Brant said. The helicopter landed in a field north of his house and air lifted him to
Brant stayed there for two days without being admitted and without a diagnosis, he said. The hospital had to give him scrubs to wear home because EMTs had cut off his clothes.
He later saw an ear nose and throat doctor who determined the illness likely was due to an inner ear imbalance or vertigo, Brant said.
Brant was shocked when he got the
"I don't know how you can justify that kind of billing," he said. His insurance company paid
Air Methods tries to find financial assistance for every patient, pairing patients with employees who help them "navigate the complexities of their insurance reimbursement," according to a statement Air Methods sent The Gazette.
The company also has a membership program allowing people in about 30 states to pay
"That could save you thousands of dollars for just a single transport," the Air Methods website notes.
Profit potential drives consolidation
The profit potential for helicopter transports has led to a steady increase in the number of air ambulances, according to the Atlas and Database of Air Medical Services.
But 1,049 helicopters nationwide in 2017 are owned by a shrinking number of firms, as for-profit companies have bought out local, hospital-based services.
Four operators -- including Air Methods -- now claim half the industry's revenue, according to a 2017 article by Consumer Reports.
Air Methods' average charge went from about
Another major player is
St. Luke's LifeGuard averages about 300 flights a year in a coverage area that ranges north to the
Who calls the Chopper?
Some patients, including Brant, have questioned whether they needed to be flown by helicopter.
A 2015 study by
"Education to physicians calling for transport and identification of alternate means of transportation would be both safe and financially beneficial to our system," the study notes.
Under a
"That's one of the reasons we caution that we want to have first responders decide," he said. "We're (dispatchers) not going to assume that role."
Air Methods said its pilots do respond only when called.
"We only act when a first responder or an attending physician determines the patient needs us," a statement said.
Reaction from the public
UIHC hasn't advertised its contract with Air Methods, with many people believing AirCare's black-and-gold helicopters still are university-owned and operated.
"I checked with UIHC and was informed that there were no press releases or
"The UIHC needs to provide their rationale for contracting with this company -- especially in light of the legal problems it is facing in other states."
l Comments: (319) 339-3157; [email protected]
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