If you need a Medevac airlift from Chester River Hospital your insurance company will be billed anywhere from $12,000 – $17,000, according to Julianna L. Vallecillo, director of marketing & public relations for the Chester River Health System.
But insurance companies only pay around half or less, Vallecillo said in an email to the Spy. And Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross usually pay only a third of what is billed.
She also said Medicaid payments for Medevac airlifts have been cut from $2,400 per transport down to $1,500.
Patients don’t have to pay what insurance doesn’t cover for a Medevac flight from Chester River Hospital, said the office of Lt. Walter Kerr of the Maryland State Police aviation division on Monday.
The average cost of a Medevac helicopter runs about $4.5 million, Vallecillo said.
Obstetrics closing won’t increase need for Medevac flights, hospital says
Since Chester River Hospital is closing its ob-gyn unit, local residents have expressed concerns about whether the hospital can handle obstetric emergencies.
“If a pregnant woman arrives in labor at our Emergency Department, [she]will be transferred to another hospital unless the baby is coming too quickly to allow for a safe transfer, or if other complications make a transfer unsafe,” Vallecillo said. “Women will be medically screened…to determine how active their labor is and how close to delivery they appear to be. The Emergency Department is trained and prepared to provide care for emergency obstetrical patients.”
She said there were very few cases each year that require a Medevac unit.
“I believe we have very few pregnant/laboring women who have had to be flown out over the last 5-10 years,” Vallecillo said. “Most women who are considered having “high risk pregnancies” already have a plan in place and are going to a hospital/facility that specializes in high-risk and have OB hospitalists.”
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