Simviation Forums

Yip, you read right !!

that NOT a Typo' error either !

I am just now finding out, that Air Med Flight, I put my dying father on, January 2013, ended up the most Expensive 1 Way - 30 minute Flight of his life, and for that matter History !

NOT from over seas mind you,, NOT from some far away Island in the South Pacific somewhere,,,

but a 4 hour drive south of Kansas City,,,,,

from Springfield Missouri Departure

TO

Kansas City, Missouri

total Trip time by Air Ambulance = 30 Minutes !

and thats "NOT" with him on Life Support either !!

All he got was some Oxygen, dad was totally coherit the entire trip, and awake, and enjoyed the Flight !

he was dying from his Leiukema,,, is what was happening,,, he died 3 weeks later after this trip.

Read the Entire Story here with photos and you'll get the idea real fast !!!

Also see my YOU TUBE Channel on Medical Fraud & Corruption Video !!!!

Link# 1 : http://forums.simviation.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=100118

Link# 2 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSCBrenXPao 60 minutes investigation !

Unbelievable - Jetranger

Your Shittin me $123,275.00 for a 1way 30 minute flight ??

IF my Dad didn't Die from his Leiukema , and he was Alive, the HEART ATTACK he'd suffered from this would of killed him, when he found out what the actual bill was or was attempting to Bilk !!!

Watch 2nd Video,,, you'll see !!!!

Jetranger

A few years back when holidaying in the USA, I got a throat infection. Now normally I would not go to the doctor for a sore throat and definitely not on holiday. However, this time I had to (when I returned from holiday the final action was the removal of my tonsils......at the age of 40!). After clearing up the manner of payment, apparently if you wave a credit card at them it gets you to the front of the line too...........I saw the doctor. He walked in, was very friendly, (what was I doing in the US on holiday etc, was I having fun, the usual small talk), then he got down to business. "Say ahhhhh", and looked in my throat with the aid of a wooden tongue depressor. Told me I had xyz and then wrote me a prescription for some drugs (one of which was a pain killer, as I have to say the pain was excruciating and this stuff sent me off with the fairies ) Any way, I then went to the front desk and presented my credit card. Two minutes with the doctor cost me (as I recall) around $800 not including the cost of the medication. My holiday insurance paid it back to me, but I was rather taken back by the cost. It seems that we all complain about lawyers, but we should be adding the medical profession to this list. When I chatted to people about this, they said it was a fairly normal bill. Unfortunately it appears that medical costs in the USA do not reflect the normal paycheck........

Matt

Well over here in the USA, its got to the point, been this way for Decades,, that when they find out you've got Any type of Insurance at all,, to these Medical people, its like Hitting a Vegas Jackpot, or Winning the Lottery !!!

They seem to think, they are "Entitled" to BILK, help themselves to as much money as they can get, anyhow, anyway they deem necessary !!

If something Normally cost say 50.00 dollars,,, they'll attempt to file a claim with the insurance company for say $500.00 dollars.

Anything from an short ground Ambulance ride to just some Doctor coming in to look at chart on you, while you were asleep in your hospital bed,,, cost $2500.00 just for looking at a clip board even.

Its got pathetic & Ridlicious !!!

They seem to think and Believe that its OK - to commit "FRAUD", and they seem to believe its just par for the course, and they can get by with it, without suffereing any consequences,,,,,

OUR FBI / Federal Bureau Investigation,, USA, has an entire Staff & Division dedicated to Healthcare Fraud & Corruption.

Now, I know planes cost money, a lotta money,, Insurance, Fuel, Trained Pilots, paramedics,, Landing fee's,,, medical Equipment on board,,, etc.

But, I'm confused as to how they come up with that figure in the 1st place $123,275.00

Especially for a 30 minute flight on a 1969 Lear Jet model 25.

not like it was a new jet,,, all fancy and stuff

Now even with AV Fuel,, as expensive as it is,,, I figure a minunium of say $1500.00 dollars / fifteen hundred dollars for this 30 minute flight if that even??

Throw in 2 trained certified/ qualified pilots that are Rated for that aircraft,,,,

Plus 2 trained Paramedics

I'd guess , another $4500.00 dollars for the crew,,,

keep in mind they were sitting in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma USA - waiting to be Dispatched , before being Dispatched to Springfield, Missouri USA.

NOT too far away, flight time Approx. 1 hour if that by Jet.

I still can't come up with any figures they are, coming up with .

I see no way, this 30 minute Flight from Springfield, Missouri to Kansas City's Gardner Municipal Airport or New Century Airport, just South of Kansas City about 20 miles,,, could warrant this amount of money , that being $123,275.00

Even with the Ground Ambulance involved with 2 paramedics on board,,, for that short drive from the Airport to the nursing home,,, time = bout 20 minute drive, I followed them, so I know.

Dunno' seems awful awful strange to me,, that kind of money, that much anyway.

even $25,000 would be high in my opinion.

NOW - "IF" he's been on the South Pacific Island of FIJI, or one of the Hawaiian Islands and needed to be flown back to here in the mainland, I might see where the cost was high,, but this isn't the case !

IF here were coming from the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, I might possibly see where it'd cost 123,000 dollars,,,,,

BUT, for a measly 30 minute flight like he was on' ??????

Something Fishy here somehere - to the Tune of $123,275.00 Dollars Fishy !!!!

Jetranger

Jetranger, you've had some really crummy (crumby?) times lately. Just remember your SimV pals have your back!

Jetranger,

My father got a 4-way heart by-pass and that only cost 88,000 and change!! Not that this ain't Ridiculous. But its heart by-pass surgery!

I would really love to know how they justify charging that astronomical amount for that plane ride. WOW!

I'm sorry about your father Jetranger, I also lost my father back in 2009 to lung cancer.

Dwayne

One of those instances where everyone associated with your father's flight and in-flight care are wanting their cut; the nurses, the hospital for any medications or IV's that your father needed, attendant care, etc.

It's damned criminal, if you ask me.

Not having health insurance myself, I really don't know if I'll be able to afford it once the new law kicks in.

Suffice to say it has me concerned.

Now that's a cool smilie! --> <--

Well if they had to Fly him from the Fiji Islands or Hawaiian islands and he needed some type of Life Support, I ,might see it,, but not from another city only 4 hours away,, by car, and only 30 minutes by Jet,, by the way the Lear they flew him on, was a 1969 model lear 25,, nothing new or close to new, for that matter.

Well, J. Edgar hoovers people are quite intersteaded in this now, bout' all I can say at this point.

see what happens,, who knows,, my father had Glorious Health insurance thru his Union tho, so that helped, tho he was a member for 40 years, before he retired !

still, they shouldn't be trying to SOAK / Screw the insurance company in my opinion !

people wonder why our health insurance rates are so drastically outrageous, this is a prime example !

nobody from that insurance ever - ever called me either to ask, if my father actually took that flight, or how he got booked on that flight either or as to why he needed that flight or IF I was happy with the services,,, they are or were just gonna pay their percentage and business as usual no questions asked.

guess their too busy and understaffed to check follow up on some of this stuff,,, just process the claims and keep on' goin to the next claim,, and then soak the customers on down the line with higher insurance rates,,,,,

Dunno' folks, but somebodys makin a shit load of money,, and it ain't us !!!!

Absolutely Ridlicious !!

from a 10,000 Flight to a 123,275.00 flight,,,, WTF ??

for that kinda money, they should of served Champaign and Cavier on board and had Naked Hott Nurses to revive my dad, if he needed it,, Holy Smokes !

man o' man the crap I get involved in, unknowingly and unwillingly,,,, some days I just wanna stay in my Cave !!!!

its going to get very intersting soon !

Sorry for your loss Jetranger, I'm not defending them... but keep in mind, the charges not only include the pilot's wages but the cost of fuel, maintenance and the paramedics (probably nurses) wages, supplies (i.e. oxygen), and any associated airport fees (landing) and/or ground transport fees (to get him to the airport and from the airport to the nursing home). It's not the most expensive air transport I've encountered as a paramedic. I did a ground transport to our local airport (California) in which the patient was flying to New York for a special procedure, granted the patient required extra levels of care, but the overall cost was 1.8 million one way... They came back to California a week later, so... 3.6 million round trip! Insurance companies will not cover such trips, unless it's an EMERGENCY in which they go to a Trauma Center via helicopter, even then some insurance companies will only cover a portion of it.

Again he didn't and or wasn't on any Life Support,,,,,,

and from Springfield Missouri to Kansas City,,,

4 hours by vehicle

30 minutes by Jet,,,,,,

even with 2 ambulances involved,,,

2 pilots and 2 paramedics on board the flight

I paid them $9300.00 up front,,,, thats all I ever was quoted and nothing else was even said about any other costs,,,,,

I still have the original Contract,, NOT a word was said about anything costing over $100,000 neither verbally or in the contract

understand Fuel,,, ( not that much tho),, and landing fee's,, and wages for 8 people

still barely adds up to 100 + thousand dollars,,,,,

I'm NOT buying into it,,, no matter what,,, i'm just not that Damn Naive and Gullible,,,,,

Jet.

Its times like that, that I'm very glad that I live in the UK (England), with our marvellous "National Health Service"...

Free..... at the point of delivery...no questions asked!

You get taken to hospital, and get fixed-up, all for free, no matter who, or what, you are!

Paul.

Someone stated in another post that a drivers licence was a privilege, not a right, which it is!

At what point in american history did "getting fixed when your broke" become a 'Privilege' and
not a 'Right' ?

Well IF your medical Condition don't kill ya,,,

IF the Doctors & Hospital Don't kill ya,,,,,

If the Prescription pills they have ya on, don't kill ya,,,,,

If the Flight Don't Kill ya,,,,

The Bills will ~ !!!!!!!!!

Their gonna see to it, YOUR Dead, one way or the other,,, somehow - someway !!

Just never go to your Mail Box, and look at any of the Bills,,,, you'll fall over dead,,, once you see the Astronomical Bills !

R.I.P. & Good Luck - Your , DEAD !!!!

When my late wife (2005) spent two nights and three days in hospital (Lake Forest il) the bill was over 26,000 dollars. On the tab.. An aspirin that costs $96.50. Can anyone explain that? Perhaps she was being difficult and they had to bring in a slingshot specialist..

Jetranger wrote:Again he didn't and or wasn't on any Life Support,,,,,,

and from Springfield Missouri to Kansas City,,,

4 hours by vehicle

30 minutes by Jet,,,,,,

even with 2 ambulances involved,,,

2 pilots and 2 paramedics on board the flight

I paid them $9300.00 up front,,,, thats all I ever was quoted and nothing else was even said about any other costs,,,,,

I still have the original Contract,, NOT a word was said about anything costing over $100,000 neither verbally or in the contract

understand Fuel,,, ( not that much tho),, and landing fee's,, and wages for 8 people

still barely adds up to 100 + thousand dollars,,,,,

I'm NOT buying into it,,, no matter what,,, i'm just not that Damn Naive and Gullible,,,,,

Jet.

Again, I'm truly sorry for your loss JetRanger. If you have the original contract and quote, I'd bring it to their attention! and if they give you the run-a-round... ask for an itemized statement, detailing why it's now costing you $110,000 more than you were quoted! It sounds like their trying to screw you over!!! Lawyer maybe needed!!! Sorry my friend