Air Ambulance Services-
Frequently Asked Questions

With AirMed, there are no deductibles, no claims to file, no maximum dollar limits and no out-of-pocket expenses. Also, travel insurance normally covers just one trip, but an annual plan with AirMed covers every trip you take, all year long.

Most travel insurance provides transport to “the nearest appropriate facility” and that can be anywhere but back home where you want to be. Travel insurance also states that it is the insurance company’s choice if they deem your transport a “medical necessity.” That means you have no control over how, when, if and where you will get treated. An AirMed member (or family/personal physicians) can always decide if they want to be transported, and which hospital is best for them—no matter how far away it is.

Let’s say you live in Chicago and have a boating accident, heart problem or bad virus in the Caribbean. You may be taken to that “nearest appropriate facility” hospital in Puerto Rico for several weeks. With AirMed, we'd get you home.

Further, most travel insurance will not transport you domestically, and as we all know, we live in a big country. What if you are injured on the West Coast, but live on the East Coast? An AirMed membership will transport you to anywhere, from anywhere, provided it is 150 miles from your home.

Jeff Tolbert’s air ambulance companies have built a worldwide reputation for readily helping hospitalized members, not preventing access to service. We approve over 98% of all requests for med evac transports. The other 2% could resolve their problems in much simpler ways. Please read the Terms & Conditions to make sure that you fully understand what you are buying – and then travel with confidence knowing that the best medevac team is a phone call away, just in case you need us.

It means that, unlike travel insurance or premium credit card plans, AirMed members don’t have to be critically ill or injured to qualify for a medical flight. The hospitalized member, his/her family, or personal doctor decides if the patient is better off at a different hospital. At which point, a phone call is made to arrange for the air evac.

First, read the fine print and, then do the math. Your card probably gets you to the “nearest appropriate facility,” and may even pay to fly someone to be with you. But it does not cover hotel, food or other expenses, and you have no control over your medical care or destination. It will cost a great deal of time and money for anyone to be at your side during your recovery; and no premium card or travel insurance guarantees you the choice of getting on a medical flight home (or to any hospital), where you can enjoy the comfort and loving support of family and friends.—not to mention your own doctors.

As long as you’re hospitalized as an inpatient and will be admitted as an inpatient to a facility more than 150 miles away, as an annual AirMed member, it is your option to be flown to any specialty facility within the contiguous United States and Canada.

Nope. Not a single claim form to fill out either. There’s just an annual fee, $265 for an individual membership and $385 for a family membership. There’s also short-term pricing for trips of only 1-30 days.

Because when the chips are down, you want the smartest and most capable air ambulance team on your side--not the one who comes in with the lowest 'bid.' There's a reason that AirMed International is the fixed-wing air ambulance service for the Mayo Clinic. AirMed teams have flown many air evac missions for the U.S. Air Force, and AirMed is one of only 3 approved U.S. Department of Defense carriers. AirMed medical jets are specially designed to be flying emergency rooms, and our pilots, doctors and nurses (not contracted pilots or med teams) have the experience and logistical ability to handle the most complicated situations in high altitude. Very few people really know how to do that, but we do.

AirMed is committed to the highest quality of care and transportation, so owning our own planes holds us fully accountable to our member's experience. We're not an air ambulance broker. We're the real deal.

When it makes sense, we coordinate with the best international rescue teams in other countries to get a member stabilized and out of a bad situation, while an official AirMed aircraft, doctor and trauma nurse are en route to the location.

For example, AirMed worked with the Chilean Air Force to rescue an Alabama veterinarian in Antarctica, which was the subject of a National Geographic special. (The vet was treating sled dogs and became ill.) We pride ourselves on superior global logistics, and we do whatever it takes to get a member home as quickly as possible.

We have bases in multiple cities so it’s safe to say we’ll be there within a few hours. The last thing we want to do is prolong your misery.

AirMed International professionals are the most experienced, U.S.-based air medical transport and repatriation experts in the world, and they have conducted 18,000+ air evac missions in more than 150 nations on 6 continents. But American civilians and registered aircraft (including ours) are not currently allowed into Iraq, North Korea or Libya.  

Day or night, including weekends and holidays, AirMed members can call our emergency toll-free number (or call collect from overseas) and consult with an experienced medical professional with the expertise and global network knowledge. If deemed a non emergency medical transport, we’ll help find an experienced, English-speaking doctor so you can recover as quickly as possible.  

You must be hospitalized over 150 miles from your home and cannot travel by commercial means, such as an airplane, cruise ship or rental car.  

No. No claims are submitted to your health insurer should you require air medical transport because, as an AirMed member, your transport from hospital bed to hospital bed is prepaid.  

However, hospitalization and related medical expenses are subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions of your health plan.  

Your AirMed membership pays for the ambulance from whatever hospital you are in to the AirMed International plane, and from the AirMed jet at your destination to the receiving hospital. An AirMed medical doctor and/or nurse will accompany you until you are fully checked in. That is what we mean by “bedside-to-bedside” transport.  

Yes. An AirMed membership is a valuable (and potentially lifesaving) gift for newlyweds on a honeymoon, new retirees, students going abroad, or any traveling executive.  

No. In fact, we do not need any information about your current or past health status on our membership application. However, individuals who are hospitalized at the time of enrollment are not eligible for transport services for that hospitalization. Some restrictions regarding organ transplants are also found in our Terms & Conditions.  

Yes, and it is a very good idea, because if she becomes seriously ill or injured you will want the best possible care in that country and the option to bring your daughter home. If you have an AirMed family membership for medical transportation service and she is a full-time student aged 19 to 26, your daughter is automatically covered for up to 90 days anywhere in the world. If her program has her staying longer than 90 days outside the U.S. or Canada, you may purchase a Student Abroad Plan for emergency medical transportion that covers students between the age of 15 to 26.  

Call our emergency number, day or night, including holidays and weekends. Toll-free in North America, call 800-356-2161. From a foreign country, you may call collect 205-443-4880.  

Absolutely. We do paid air medical transports frequently, providing the same top-level medical care that we offer members. Because of the quality of our aircraft, medical staff, and complicated logistics, AirMed International requires the full fee (normally $10,000–$150,000, depending on medical needs and distance) wired to our bank or charged on a credit card before takeoff. Please call 800-356-2161 or 205-443-4880 to obtain a free quote and make arrangements. Or email help@airmed.com.

Individual or Family AirMed membership is available to persons up to age 75.  

Definitely. Please call AirMed’s Sales Department at 800-356-2161 or at 205-443-4880 to discuss a cost-effective rate structure. You can also email membership@airmed.com.  

A member beyond the second trimester of pregnancy may not be transported if the transport request relates to the pregnancy.

If room allows, a traveling companion(s) and one small piece of luggage may accompany the transport patient.  

Definitely, but the rates are different for medical transportation memberships when you live outside the United States or Canada for more than 90 consecutive days. We also have Student, Extended and Ex-Pat memberships.