chris pochari Posted July 2, 2017 Report Share Posted July 2, 2017 http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2015-10-06/air-methods-ceo-air-ems-market-oversaturatedToo many helicopters? what's your thought? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred0311 Posted July 2, 2017 Report Share Posted July 2, 2017 Well they have to figure something out, stories about people getting 40,000 dollar bills for an hour flight is insane and unacceptable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pohi Posted July 2, 2017 Report Share Posted July 2, 2017 That's a bargain compared to how much the hospitals inflate the cost of an aspirin. If you do the math, at the same percentage of jacking up the cost of one aspirin to what they charge, one hour of flight time would easily be over a million dollars 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r22butters Posted July 2, 2017 Report Share Posted July 2, 2017 http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2015-10-06/air-methods-ceo-air-ems-market-oversaturatedToo many helicopters? what's your thought?Massive HAAP layoffs, leading to longer lines at Helisuccess to talk with Papillon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wally Posted July 2, 2017 Report Share Posted July 2, 2017 The answers are easy:Only transport patients who need air transport.Only call for air transport if the helicopter is within 10 minutes of the patient.Transport everybody else in the truck. I hope the EMT can tell who needs air transport with 100% accuracy, but the idea is cheap!, right? The hospitals will need a lot more ICU (you think HEMS is expensive?) and long term care beds.  The US needs an actual 'system' for this. You would think that the industry itself, DOMINATED by insurance companies with legions of actuaries could and would set up a framework and save themselves gozillions of dollars... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pochari Posted July 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2017 That's a bargain compared to how much the hospitals inflate the cost of an aspirin. If you do the math, at the same percentage of jacking up the cost of one aspirin to what they charge, one hour of flight time would easily be over a million dollarsYup, you can cross the Mexican border and buy prescription drugs for one fifth the price Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azhigher Posted July 2, 2017 Report Share Posted July 2, 2017 It's not a new idea that the air medical market is over saturated. Up until this point bases open, if they make money they stay open and if they don't they typically close. I think that will continue to be the case. If you're an HAA pilot find a good base with low overhead and hope you build enough seniority to have options if circumstances ever change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippiesdrainage Posted July 3, 2017 Report Share Posted July 3, 2017 It's kind of hypocritical for the CEO of the largest HAA company in the US with somewhere around 200 bases to say it's over saturated. I don't see AMC having a change of heart and closing bases, I think he's talking about the competition. Seriously though, HAA is necessary. Every year more and more community hospitals are closing due to budget constraints. As more hospitals close, more patients need to be transported a longer distance to a receiving facility. Regardless of the severity of the issue, a patient taken by ground will have to go to the super hospital a few counties over putting the EMS ground crew out of service for hours. In a county with only 1 or 2 ambulances, that could be devastating for a patient enroute or for the person who falls and cracks their head open while the crews are transporting a broken finger. On top of that, in poor and isolated communities, responders have bare basic training as an EMT or a volunteer. This is the combination that's leading the way for HAA. Sometimes crews will call a helicopter because they can't provide the level of care to a patient. Even a stable patient may need a level of care that they simply can't provide. Secondly, even a patient that's stable now may still run the risk of getting worse if they back road route to the nearest hospital is an hour. Those are the tricky situations that are creating these problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBuzzkill Posted July 3, 2017 Report Share Posted July 3, 2017 (edited) When my daughter was born prematurely a couple weeks ago I was very appreciative of the Army MEDEVAC helicopters sitting outside the hospital. It's an over two hour drive to the nearest hospital with a NICU. There were no complications however and we didn't need to take a helicopter ride, but having that option was very relieving. Would I have felt the same if it was a private company? You bet. The bill is steep but human life is worth more. Edited July 3, 2017 by SBuzzkill 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pochari Posted July 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2017 It's kind of hypocritical for the CEO of the largest HAA company in the US with somewhere around 200 bases to say it's over saturated. I don't see AMC having a change of heart and closing bases, I think he's talking about the competition. Seriously though, HAA is necessary. Every year more and more community hospitals are closing due to budget constraints. As more hospitals close, more patients need to be transported a longer distance to a receiving facility. Regardless of the severity of the issue, a patient taken by ground will have to go to the super hospital a few counties over putting the EMS ground crew out of service for hours. In a county with only 1 or 2 ambulances, that could be devastating for a patient enroute or for the person who falls and cracks their head open while the crews are transporting a broken finger. On top of that, in poor and isolated communities, responders have bare basic training as an EMT or a volunteer. This is the combination that's leading the way for HAA. Sometimes crews will call a helicopter because they can't provide the level of care to a patient. Even a stable patient may need a level of care that they simply can't provide. Secondly, even a patient that's stable now may still run the risk of getting worse if they back road route to the nearest hospital is an hour. Those are the tricky situations that are creating these problems.Yeah I know, he and Fred Buttrell from AMGH have a virtual oligopoly going and are raking in huge profits. Here in Cali AMGH has come in and bought up all the little air med companies. That's happening all over the country. In 2011 the top 4 companies had 27% of the market, now they have 49%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pochari Posted July 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2017 When my daughter was born prematurely a couple weeks ago I was very appreciative of the Army MEDEVAC helicopters sitting outside the hospital. It's an over two hour drive to the nearest hospital with a NICU. There were no complications however and we didn't need to take a helicopter ride, but having that option was very relieving. Would I have felt the same if it was a private company? You bet. The bill is steep but human life is worth more.totally agree. Where I live the Sheriff Helicopter saves 900 people per year, mostly avoidable accidents (hint don't take a selfie 2 inches from a 200 foot cliff to post on facebook) but still, helicopters are incredibly important life saving devices. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.