Wyoming officials have received a lot of phone calls from consumers across the state who were confused about the availability and potential out-of-pocket costs of emergency air ambulance service. Denise Burke with the Wyoming Division of Insurance says while emergency airlift is covered under Medicare and Medicaid, it’s important for people to review their current coverage, especially if they purchased private membership plans. Burke says the cost of air transport, which can’t be regulated by the state, has gone up by as much as 17-hundred percent over the past six to eight years.
“Consumers are concerned, and they should be. It really all comes down to consumers being well aware of what they have, and if they feel they need additional coverage, knowing that they have a product that will protect them.”
As Medicare and supplemental plans cover most of the cost of air-ambulance rides, A-A-R-P Wyoming is working with the Department of Insurance and the Legislature to advance other protections, including disclosures encouraging Wyoming’s Medicare-eligible population to check their existing policies before purchasing membership plans.
