Top 7 Questions to Ask

1. Will I have to contact the hospital, the ambulance company
or doctors?
No.  Once you contact us, we handle everything from that point forward so you can focus on your loved one.  It’s all part of our bedside to bedside service.  Our medical director will contact the hospital and speak to your loved one’s doctor to get a full medical overview of his/her condition.  We arrange the ambulance service to get them from the hospital to the airport.  Your loved one is delivered directly to the waiting plane from the ambulance.  Our highly trained medical crew will accompany him/her throughout the flight, monitoring all vital signs and being prepared to provide any medical assistance necessary.  A family member can accompany the loved one on the flight.  We maintain contact with the receiving hospital and let them know when the patient will arrive.  When the flight arrives, a ground ambulance will be waiting to transport the patient to the receiving hospital.  From bedside to bedside, Medical Express coordinates every move and keeps you and the family in the know.  Not all companies provide bedside to bedside service, but we feel it’s important enough to provide it on every flight.  It’s the only way to maintain continuity of care and it ensures that a detailed medical report is provided to the receiving medical crew.

2. How do I know I’m getting the best price?
With our best price guarantee, we promise to keep your costs as low as possible. Fuel is the most important factor influencing price and unfortunately, we can’t control that any more than any other air ambulance service. But there are other ways price is affected that we can control. We make sure you are matched with the most affordable aircraft for your situation. In other words, we won’t book you a flight on the jet if our twin engine plane is available. The smaller plane will use less fuel and consequently not cost as much per flight.

We’ll even work with you on payment. Sometimes families wish to split payment up between several family members. We try to make the payment process as easy as possible. We can even work out a payment plan if necessary. With Medical Express, you never pay more than you have to.

3. What type of medical staff will be on board the aircraft?
At the very least, an air ambulance transport flight should have Critical Care Nurse and a Respiratory Therapist or Paramedic on board. Click here for Flight Personnel. Medical Express flights typically are staffed by a registered nurse, respiratory therapist, licensed paramedic and/or other medical professionals, depending on the specific needs of the patient.

4. What kind of training does your medical staff have?
Medical Express employs the most highly trained professionals in the medical industry. Click here for Flight Personnel. In addition to ER and ICU experience, our flight nurses and paramedics are trained in Flight Physiology and Air Transport medicine. Along with the appropriate state licenses, our staff attends annual training as well as continuing education programs. Each member has current ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) certification and PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) certification and extensive trauma experience.

5. Does the air ambulance service carry liability and medical malpractice insurance?
Make sure the air ambulance company you hire carries liability and medical malpractice insurance. Also, ask for a copy of the air ambulance company’s certificate of insurance (COI). Medical Express carries liability and medical malpractice insurance.

6. Are ground ambulance arrangements and payments included in the quote?
While some organizations make the ground ambulance arrangements and air ambulance arrangements both, the quote they provide only includes the air ambulance transport. Then, after you’ve made your decision based on price, you find out that there are extra charges. Make certain that you understand what is included in your quote. A quote from Medical Express includes both ground transportation and air ambulance transportation – no surprises.

7. What documents are required to travel on an international flight to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean?
Everyone traveling on international flights must provide Medical Express with the following information prior to departure:

• Name
• Relationship to patient
• Passport number and expiration date
• Date of birth
• Nationality
• Visa information, if required