REACH Air Medical Services

There is no limit to the number of transports a member may take in a year. Each transport is handled the same way and must be a life-or-limb threatening emergency.

With an AirMedCare Network household membership, any person or persons who reside under one (residential) roof can be covered. In the event we have a member who lives in a duplex or apartment complex, we designate the primary member’s residence/address, and that is considered the “one roof”. Undergraduate college students can be covered under their parent’s membership as well as anyone previously residing in the household who is then moved to a permanent care facility.

Our Network of Providers were among the first air ambulance services to offer a membership program, similar to the ground ambulance and rural fire department programs throughout the United States. The founders knew that for the service to survive in a rural area, they would need other sources of funding besides the traditional fee-for-service billing. Additionally, the founders knew that the service would be costly, and therefore offered a membership program to assist families with the cost and alleviate the financial burden associated.

Members are entitled to transport (when available) by an AirMedCare Network provider to the closest appropriate medical facility for medical conditions deemed by an attending medical professional to be life- or limb-threatening, or that could lead to permanent disability. Members also receive a welcome packet complete with auto stickers and membership cards. Members have the peace of mind knowing that they will receive no out-of-pocket expense for their flights.

Although you do not have to be a member to be transported, membership offers several important benefits:

First, as one of more than 2.6 million members, AirMedCare Network Providers will work on your behalf with your benefits provider to secure payment for your flight, with any uncovered amounts considered to be fully prepaid. As such, members who are transported by AirMedCare Network will not receive a bill for the flight. Importantly, your membership is valid in all of our service areas so you are covered while traveling in those areas. If they determine air medical transport is needed, and they dispatch one of our ambulance providers, your membership will provide coverage.

In addition, becoming an AirMedCare Network member is a good way to support the health care needs of your local community. Our membership base – the largest of its kind in the United States – helps us operate in rural areas where having a quick response time to critical medical situations can save lives.

Membership fees alone are not enough to cover the cost of member transports. Those fees are prepaid protection against costs not covered by a member’s insurance, other benefits or third party responsibility. Almost all of our members have some type of insurance, benefit or third party responsibility that covers all or part of the cost of transport. Collecting enough from those sources is necessary to keep membership fees low. Of course, if there is no other source of payment for a member’s transport, the transport is still covered in full by the membership.

For additional answers to frequently asked questions about protection, providers, and provision please visit AirMedCare Network FAQs.

Terms & Conditions

 

AMCN Emergent Air

AirMedCare Network (“AMCN”) is an alliance of affiliated emergency air ambulance providers* (each a Provider). Your AMCN membership automatically enrolls you as a member in each Provider’s membership program. Membership ensures that you will have no out-of-pocket flight expenses if flown by a Provider by providing prepaid protection against a Provider’s air ambulance costs that are not covered by any insurance, benefits, or third-party responsibility available to you, subject to the following terms and conditions:

1. Patient transport will be to the closest appropriate medical facility for medical conditions that are deemed by the AMCN Provider attending medical professionals to be life- or limb-threatening, or that could lead to permanent disability, and which require emergency air ambulance transport. A patient’s medical condition, not membership status, will dictate whether or not air transportation is appropriate and required. Under all circumstances, an AMCN Provider retains the sole right and responsibility to determine whether or not a patient is flown. Emergent ground ambulance transport of a member by an AMCN Provider, in connection with an emergent air ambulance transport by a Provider, will be covered under these same terms and conditions.
2. AMCN Provider air ambulance services may not be available when requested due to factors beyond the Provider’s control, such as use of the appropriate aircraft by another patient or other circumstances governed by operational requirements or restrictions including, but not limited to, equipment manufacturer limitations, governmental regulations, maintenance requirements, patient condition, age or size, or weather conditions. FAA restrictions prohibit most AMCN Provider aircraft from flying in inclement weather conditions. The primary determinant of whether to accept a flight is always the safety of the patient and medical flight crews.
3. Members who have any insurance or other benefits available to them, or third party responsibility (or liability) claims, that cover in any way the cost of ambulance services are financially liable for the cost of AMCN Provider services up to the limit of any such available coverage or recovery. In return for payment of the membership fee, the AMCN Provider will consider its air ambulance costs that are not covered by any insurance, benefits or other third-party responsibility available to the member to have been fully prepaid. “Insurance” or “benefits” means any and all types of insurance or benefits without any limitation. By way of example only, such “insurance” or “benefits” include medical benefits available under health insurance, automobile insurance, homeowners insurance, workers compensation, and government insurance or benefits programs. Further, the terms “insurance” or “benefits” include any insurance or benefits that are owned by a member (or that are written or held in a member’s name), as well as any insurance or benefits owned by someone else (or that are written or held in someone else’s name) that provide coverage, to any extent, for the services provided by the AMCN Provider to a member. “Third-party responsibility” means any amounts that any third-party is required to pay to a member because of or related to the AMCN Provider’s services rendered to the member. The AMCN Provider reserves the right to seek payment directly from any available insurance, benefits provider, or third party for services rendered to a member (to the same extent it could do so for any non-member patient), and members authorize all available insurers, benefits providers, and responsible third parties to pay any covered amounts directly to the AMCN Provider.
4. Members agree to remit to the AMCN Provider any payment received from any insurance, benefit providers, or any third party for any services provided by the AMCN Provider, not to exceed the amount charged by the AMCN Provider, including (but not limited to) instances in which payment for an AMCN Provider’s services is made via settlement with any insurers, benefit providers, or third parties found responsible for a member’s injury or condition leading to the air medical services provided by the AMCN Provider. Remitting such payments are not member out-of-pocket expenses because such payments originated from third parties only because of the air medical services
   provided to the member. Failure by a member to remit such payments constitutes a material breach of these terms and conditions and authorizes the Provider to seek full payment for its services from the member.
5. Neither the Providers nor AMCN is an insurance company. Membership is not an insurance policy and cannot be considered as a secondary insurance coverage or a supplement to any insurance coverage. Neither the Providers nor AMCN will be responsible for payment for services
   provided by another ambulance service.
6. Membership starts 15 days after AMCN receives a complete application with full payment; however, the waiting period will be waived for unforeseen events occurring during such time. Members must be natural persons. Memberships are non-refundable and non-transferable.
7. Some state laws prohibit Medicaid beneficiaries from being offered membership or being accepted into membership programs. By applying, members certify to the Providers that they are not Medicaid beneficiaries.
8. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. THE LIABILITY OF AMCN AND THE PROVIDERS, AND THE DAMAGES AVAILABLE TO A MEMBER, FOR BREACH OF THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS IS LIMITED TO ACTUAL DAMAGES IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED (A) ANY AMOUNT ACTUALLY RECEIVED BY AMCN OR ANY PROVIDER IN VIOLATION OF THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND (B) THE MEMBERSHIP FEE PAID BY THE MEMBER FOR THE APPLICABLE MEMBERSHIP TERM. IN NO EVENT SHALL AMCN OR ANY PROVIDER BE LIABLE TO A MEMBER UNDER THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS PURSUANT TO ANY CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, TORT, OR OTHER LEGAL OR EQUITABLE THEORY FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY NATURE WHATSOEVER, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM OR THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, EVEN IF AMCN OR A PROVIDER HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THE MEMBER ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT THE LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY SET FORTH IN THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS REFLECT AN ALLOCATION OF RISK SET FORTH IN THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND THAT, IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH LIMITATIONS, THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS WOULD BE SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT.
9. Any and all matters arising out of or relating to the AMCN membership program, these terms and conditions, and/or the subject matter hereof shall be governed by, construed, and enforced in accordance with the laws of the United States of America (including without limitation, the Federal Arbitration Act) and, to the extent not preempted by Federal law, the laws of the State of Missouri without regard to conflicts or choice of law principles, regardless of the legal theory upon which such matter is asserted. Outside of these terms and conditions, Federal law preempts state and local laws, regulations, and other provisions, including common law duties that relate to rates, routes, or services of an air carrier. To the extent a state or political subdivision thereof makes the incorporation of common law duties or state law in contracts optional, the Providers and you agree that this contract does not incorporate any such common law duties or state laws.
10. ARBITRATION AGREEMENT. Any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to the AMCN membership program, these terms and conditions, and/or the subject matter hereof shall be resolved by binding arbitration by a single arbitrator pursuant to the Consumer Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association (“Rules”), as modified by these terms and conditions. The place of arbitration will be St. Louis, Missouri. The judgment on any award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof. THERE SHALL BE NO RIGHT OR AUTHORITY FOR ANY CLAIMS TO BE ARBITRATED ON A CLASS ACTION, JOINT OR CONSOLIDATED
    BASIS OR ON BASES INVOLVING CLAIMS BROUGHT IN A PURPORTED REPRESENTATIVE CAPACITY ON BEHALF OF OTHER MEMBERS OR OTHER PERSONS. THE ARBITRATOR MAY AWARD RELIEF ONLY IN FAVOR OF THE INDIVIDUAL PARTY SEEKING RELIEF AND ONLY TO THE EXTENT NECESSARY TO PROVIDE RELIEF WARRANTED BY THAT INDIVIDUAL PARTY’S CLAIM. The arbitrator is not authorized to award attorney’s fees and costs or equitable relief. In the event the prohibition on class arbitration or any other provision in this arbitration agreement is deemed invalid or unenforceable, then the remaining provisions of these terms and conditions will remain in full force and effect. In the event of any dispute between the parties, you agree to first contact the Provider or AMCN and make a good faith effort to resolve the dispute before resorting to arbitration under these terms and conditions.
11. These terms and conditions supersede all previous terms and conditions between a member and the Providers or AMCN, including any other writings, or verbal representations, relating to the terms and conditions of membership. These terms and conditions may be modified or amended only in writing signed by the President or a Vice President of AMCN or a Provider, and may not be modified or amended orally, by trade usage or by course of conduct or dealing.3.

    *Air Evac EMS, Inc. / Guardian Flight, LLC / Med-Trans Corporation / REACH Air Medical Services,
    LLC — These terms and conditions apply to all AMCN participating provider membership programs,
    regardless of which participating provider transports you

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California Residents
“A Word from the California Department of Managed Health Care:”

(A) BEFORE YOU PURCHASE: If you are currently enrolled in a health maintenance organization (HMO) or other health insurance, the benefits provided by an Ambulance Plan may duplicate the benefits provided by your HMO or other health insurance. If you have a question regarding whether your HMO or other health insurance offers benefits for ambulance services, you should contact that other company directly.

(B) WARNING: This Ambulance Plan is not an insurance program. It will not compensate or reimburse another ambulance company that provides emergency transportation to you or your family. This may occur when the 911 Emergency System has independently determined that another company could provide more expeditious service or is next in the rotation to receive a call. This might also occur when this Ambulance Plan is unable to perform within a medically appropriate timeframe due to a mechanical or maintenance problem or being on another call.

(C) COMPLAINTS: For complaints regarding this Ambulance Plan, or if you have questions regarding the Plan, first attempt to call REACH/CALSTAR/Cal-Ore at 1.800.793.0010. If REACH/CALSTAR/Cal-Ore fails to resolve the complaint to your satisfaction, contact the Department of Managed Health Care at 1-888-466-2219. The Department’s website is http://www.healthhelp.ca.gov. You may obtain complaint forms and instructions online.

(D) OPERATING UNDER CONDITIONAL EXEMPTION: This Ambulance Plan is operating pursuant to an exemption from the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 (Health and Safety Code section 1340 ct seq.).