You don’t need an air medical membership

Recent legal changes, complicated insurance processes, and chance make them a bad deal

SAVE YOUR MONEY

People have bought air medical memberships in the past because they were worried about large bills after being transported. Starting January 1, 2022, if you have any type of insurance, it will not be legal for you to receive these bills from air medical providers. Combine that with the fact that companies that offer emergency air transportation memberships don’t operate everywhere and you can’t control where you’re going to have a medical emergency, and the value of the air medical membership is difficult to see.

Oftentimes, the cost of the air ambulance membership is similar to the actual average out-of-pocket costs, and with no regulation, these memberships lack the same legal protections that you have with other insurance projects.

WHY YOU DON'T NEED AIR MEDICAL MEMBERSHIPS

Congress passed laws making them unnecessary for anyone with insurance

The “No Surprises Act” is a new law coming into effect across the United States on January 1, 2022, that will prohibit “balance billing,” protecting consumers like you from extremely high surprise medical bills. With the new “No Surprises Act,” you won’t have to worry about paying surprise medical fees.

Most people buy air medical memberships because they are afraid of large air medical bills

An air medical membership is not an insurance product and is not regulated like one. Actual insurance products, such as supplmental insurance, exist to offset air medical costs and cover deductibles and co-pays, eliminating the need for a separate air medical membership. Your best bet is to buy a supplemental insurance plan that will cover everything, not just air medical.

You usually won’t know which company will pick you up

If you’re in an accident, then the first responders on the scene will be the ones to determine if you need to be air lifted to a trauma center — not you. You won’t have any control over who picks you up — whether you have a membership with a company or not.

It doesn’t really save you money

Air ambulance memberships can at times be more expensive than the average out-of-pocket costs. The out-of-pocket cost for patients on flights for an emergency transportation provider, for instance, is on average only $279, which ends up being less than the cost of paying four years of coverage costs. Considering how much you pay for yearly memberships and the chance you would actually be transported, an air medical membership doesn’t really save you money.

The prizes are not worth it

Air medical memberships give away NASCAR trips, YETI coolers, electronic gadgets, even cash. Think about why these providers are giving away tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of prizes? Signing up for air medical memberships to win tickets or other prices just doesn’t seem like a good deal.

+ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why should I cancel or not buy Air Ambulance Membership?

You probably bought an air medical membership because you were worried about large bills after being transported. Starting January 1, 2022, if you have any type of insurance, it will not be legal for you to receive these bills from air medical providers. You simply don’t need an air medical membership. Companies that offer emergency air medical memberships don't operate everywhere, and because you can't control where you're going to have a medical emergency or who picks you up, the membership ends up being worthless. These memberships have no regulation and lack the same legal protections that you have with other insurance projects.

If I’m in a car crash, don’t I need air medical membership?

If you're in a car crash, then the first responders on the scene will be the ones to determine if you need to be air lifted to a trauma center -- not you. You won't have any control over who picks you up -- whether you have a membership with a company or not. Having a membership with a company then becomes useless since there's no predicting which provider will be the one to pick you up.

Isn’t it cheaper for me to have air medical membership coverage?

Air ambulance memberships can at times be more expensive than the average out-of-pocket costs. The out-of-pocket cost for patients on flights for an emergency transportation provider, for instance, is on average around $250, which ends up being less than the cost of paying four years of coverage costs. Considering how much more expensive it is to pay for yearly memberships than for the actual flight itself, combined with your chances of actually needing to be transported, air medical membership coverage is not a good value.

If I sign up for air medical membership, I have a chance to win NASCAR tickets and other prizes, why not just go for it?

Companies selling air medical memberships give away NASCAR trips, YETI coolers, electronic gadgets, even cash. Think about why these providers are giving away tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of prizes? Has your insurance company ever raffled off $10,000? Signing up for air medical membership to win tickets or other prices just doesn’t seem like a good deal.

Buying air medical membership seems like a good deal to me. Why shouldn't I go ahead and buy it?

With the new "No Surprises Act," you won't have to worry about paying surprise medical fees. This new law will eliminate the need for a membership altogether.

How does the “No Surprises Act” impact air ambulance patients?

The "No Surprises Act" is a new law coming into effect across the United States on January 1, 2022, that will prohibit "balance billing," protecting consumers like you from extremely high surprise medical bills. With the new "No Surprises Act," you won't have to worry about paying surprise medical fees. If you have insurance, this new law will eliminate the need for a membership altogether.

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