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Average Estimated In-Network Amount for Fixed-Wing Air Ambulance Transport Rose 76 Percent from 2017 to 2020

Amount Reached $15,624 in 2020, according to FAIR Health Study

In 2020, COVID-19 Was the Second Most Common Diagnosis Associated with Fixed-Wing Air Ambulance Transport

NEW YORK, NY—October 4, 2021—The average estimated allowed (in-network) amount for base fixed-wing air ambulance transport (not including mileage charges) rose 76.4 percent, from $8,855 in 2017 to $15,624 in 2020. This was part of a general rise in costs for both fixed-wing (airplane) and rotary-wing (helicopter) air ambulance transport during this period, including increases in average billed charges, estimated allowed amounts for privately insured patients and Medicare reimbursements. , These are among the findings in FAIR Health’s new white paper, Air Ambulance Services in the United States: A Study of Private and Medicare Claims.

The average charge associated with fixed-wing air ambulance transports rose 27.6 percent, from $19,210 in 2017 to $24,507 in 2020, the study reports. The average Medicare reimbursement rose 4.7 percent, from $3,071 to $3,216.

The average charge associated with rotary-wing air ambulance transports rose 22.2 percent, from $24,924 in 2017 to $30,446 in 2020. The average estimated allowed amount rose 60.8 percent, from $11,608 to $18,668. The average Medicare reimbursement rose 4.7 percent, from $3,570 to $3,739.

Among the other findings in the report:

Air ambulance claim lines increased 30 percent from 2016 to 2020 as a percentage of all ambulance (ground and air) claim lines (0.7 percent in 2016 to 0.9 percent in 2020).
In 2020, the second most common diagnosis associated with fixed-wing air ambulance transport was COVID-19, accounting for seven percent of fixed-wing air ambulance claim lines.
The states with the highest use of fixed-wing air ambulance transport as a percentage of all medical claim lines in that state in 2020 (in order from highest to lowest use) were Alaska, Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana and New Mexico. The five states with the lowest use (in order from lowest to highest use) were Virginia, Kentucky, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Vermont.
Based on the origination point of the flight, the states with the highest average mileage for fixed-wing air ambulance transport in 2020 were Alaska (455 miles), Florida (444 miles), Georgia (429 miles), North Carolina (401 miles) and Indiana (382 miles).
The states with the highest use of rotary-wing air ambulance transport as a percentage of all medical claim lines in that state in 2020 were Idaho, South Dakota, New Mexico, West Virginia and Wyoming.
The states with the highest average mileage for rotary-wing air ambulance transport in 2020 were Hawaii (126 miles), North Dakota (115 miles), Wyoming (110 miles), Nebraska (94 miles) and New Mexico (90 miles).
In the period 2016-2020, air ambulance claim lines were predominantly associated with individuals 65 years and older. Patients in that age group accounted for 55.4 percent of claim lines for fixed-wing transport and 63.6 percent of claim lines for rotary-wing transport.
The top diagnoses associated with fixed-wing air ambulance rides from 2016 to 2020, as attributed by ambulance providers, were (from most to least common) digestive system issues; heart attack; sprains, strains, breaks and fractures; chronic respiratory diseases; and general signs and symptoms involving the circulatory and respiratory systems.
The top diagnoses associated with rotary-wing air ambulance rides from 2016 to 2020 were cerebrovascular issues and diseases, heart attack, head injury, injury to body and stroke.
In emergencies, in the period 2016-2020, patients transported by air ambulance were much more likely to be admitted as inpatients to a hospital than patients transported by ground ambulance.
In the period 2016-2020, the diagnosis with the highest inpatient admission rate after a fixed-wing air ambulance transport was newborn disorders. The diagnosis with the highest inpatient admission rate after a rotary-wing air ambulance transport was complications in newborns.

FAIR Health President Robin Gelburd stated: “Air ambulance services have been the subject of substantial policy focus. We hope that this study of air ambulance transport proves productive to policy makers, researchers, payors, providers and consumers seeking to better understand this corner of the healthcare system.”

Some of the findings in this report are also available in the form of two infographics, the first on growth, costs and geography, the second on demographics and diagnoses.

For the new white paper, click here.

About FAIR Health

FAIR Health is a national, independent nonprofit organization that qualifies as a public charity under section 501(c)(3) of the federal tax code. It is dedicated to bringing transparency to healthcare costs and health insurance information through data products, consumer resources and health systems research support. FAIR Health possesses the nation’s largest collection of commercial healthcare claims data, which includes over 48 billion claim records and is growing at a rate of over 3 billion claim records a year. FAIR Health licenses its commercial data and data products—including benchmark modules, data visualizations, custom analytics and market indices—to commercial insurers and self-insurers, employers, providers, hospitals and healthcare systems, government agencies, researchers and others. Certified by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a national Qualified Entity, FAIR Health also receives data representing the experience of all individuals enrolled in traditional Medicare Parts A, B and D, which accounts for a separate collection of over 47 billion claim records; FAIR Health includes among the commercial claims data in its database, data on Medicare Advantage enrollees. FAIR Health can produce insightful analytic reports and data products based on combined Medicare and commercial claims data for government, providers, payors and other authorized users. FAIR Health’s systems for processing and storing protected health information have earned HITRUST CSF certification and achieved AICPA SOC 2 Type 2 compliance by meeting the rigorous data security requirements of these standards. As a testament to the reliability and objectivity of FAIR Health data, the data have been incorporated in statutes and regulations around the country and designated as the official, neutral data source for a variety of state health programs, including workers’ compensation and personal injury protection (PIP) programs. FAIR Health data serve as an official reference point in support of certain state balance billing laws that protect consumers against bills for surprise out-of-network and emergency services. FAIR Health also uses its database to power a free consumer website available in English and Spanish, which enables consumers to estimate and plan for their healthcare expenditures and offers a rich educational platform on health insurance. An English/Spanish mobile app offers the same educational platform in a concise format and links to the cost estimation tools. The website has been honored by the White House Summit on Smart Disclosure, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), URAC, the eHealthcare Leadership Awards, appPicker, Employee Benefit News and Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. For more information on FAIR Health, visit fairhealth.org.

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Average Estimated In-Network Amount for Fixed-Wing Air Ambulance Transport Rose 76 Percent from 2017 to 2020

Amount Reached $15,624 in 2020, according to FAIR Health Study

In 2020, COVID-19 Was the Second Most Common Diagnosis Associated with Fixed-Wing Air Ambulance Transport

About FAIR Health

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