Mercy Flights Ambulance Costs Expected to Rise

Mercy Flights is bracing itself for a difficult year ahead.

The organization expects the troubled economy will mean more uninsured people won't be able to pay their ambulance bills.

Mercy Flights officials say there's usually a six-month delay in feeling the impacts of a changing economy.

They say most people are now cutting back on preventative care and waiting for it to turn into an emergency situation.

But a ride to the hospital is getting more expensive.

Every year Mercy Flights takes 20,000 people to the hospital by ambulance. With operation costs going up about 8 percent this year, the company says it has no choice but to pass those costs on to the consumer.

"It's hard to think the fact we may contribute to someone's bankruptcy, because they have a medical emergency, with the cost of the emergency room physicians and everything being so high," said Ken Parsons, the Mercy Flights General Manager.

Without health insurance, an ambulance ride today will cost more than 800 dollars.

Starting Jan. 1, that will go up to nearly $1,000.

Mercy flights says it's the economy.

"Fuel, labor costs, health benefit costs," said Parsons.

Some say paying out of pocket is just way too much.

"I wouldn't take ambulance I'd just drive my children 900 dollars no way, to call an ambulance," said Sandra Sabeh of Medford.

Sabeh lives just a few blocks away from Providence Medford Medical Center, she is part of a Mercy Flights program that can cut ambulance costs by half.

"We have three boys (ages 10, 8 and 3) its something 50 dollars don't think about it for a year, it's worth it," Sabeh said.

Even with programs in place, every year, Mercy Flights says about $1.2 million worth of ambulance bills will go unpaid. This year it's expected to increase by about 10 percent.

They're especially concerned about seniors, which make up 50 percent of ridership.

Seniors who, like everyone else, are already struggling to get by.

"Double whammy our cost to them goes up and reserves they have to make payments goes down definitely hurts the aged population much more so that are on fixed incomes," Parsons said.

Mercy Flights also transports about 500 people to hospitals by air every year. For now their helicopters only run during daylight hours.

They'd like to begin night operation this spring but will need some night vision equipment to make that possible. They estimate that will cost them about $140,000 a year to set up and $200,000 a year to operate it.

So far, more than 20,000 people have become part of the Mercy Flights membership program.

For information on the program, we have a link under From our Newscasts and "links and numbers."