Leaves Patient With Over $47,000 Debt Following Transportation

An Arizona rancher finds himself facing a lawsuit for an unpaid bill for transportation by a medical helicopter two years ago.

Clarence Kendall was moving hay bales when he fell about 8 feet and struck his head on the corner of a truck, which caused head trauma. He was airlifted by Air Methods to a hospital in Tucson ... but his insurance company would not cover the cost of the transportation.

That left Kendall with a bill of $47,182. The New York Times reports that Kendall has not paid the bill, which is equivalent to a year's income, and the helicopter company has sued him for the payment.

The air transportation industry has depended on insurance companies picking up the tab for their operations. But recent changes in health insurance rules can leave patients like Kendall with hefty bills to pay following emergency transport. According to the report, Air Methods, a company with a billion dollars in revenue annually, has been filing lawsuits against patients they have flown to trauma centers. In one case, they placed a lien on the home of the husband of a woman they had transported.

Some have resorted to filing for bankruptcy to have the medical transport bills expunged, and Air Methods said it does try to work with people to reduce the bills. But the company does press hard in court for payment, according to the report.

Financial records from Air Methods show that collections are taking longer, and if insurance companies continue to reduce payments, that may become an industry-wide trend.

(Air Methods helicopter pictured in file photo)

FMI: www.airmethods.com