There are two helicopter services down here. The charges for each from Pine Ridge near Muir to UK ER is about $13,500. No joke.Clevis Hitch wrote:Doesn't it cost like $5000 to get airlifted? She had a siezure and was climbing the next day? That seems like a miricle or something....
Of course, when someone is critically injured, the cost is not a concern. But the Wolfe County EMS folks often send someone to UK Med who really does not need a heli evac. For example, Liz slipped on a trail and busted a tib fib (not compound) a couple years ago and the local EMS guy called in a heli. Fun ride, but that's when we found out about the cost. No prob with insurance, but without it... whooee.
So, Liz was taken by meat wagon to Pine Ridge, waited around a while for the helicopter, then when she got to UK Med, she waited a long time for surgery. Bottom line, it would have been almost as fast by ground vehicle from the Red to Lex.
Last week the guy who slipped on the Roadside trail and cut his head bled a lot as head wounds tend to do, but he did not have a TBI, nor was he in danger of bleeding out, yet they sent him on a $13K joyride.
If you don't have insurance and are injured and you believe it is not critical to get to a hospital fast, then you might consider saying no to the ambulance guys and having your buddies run you up to Lexington. They will require you to sign a PRT form (patient refuses treatment/transport.)
Rick