From: [a friend]
Subject: Re: Who Pays for Helicopter Rescues (We Do!)
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2010 14:15:45 -0700
Mike,
Just an FYI.
Most equestrians who use the trails
and some hikers in this area (I live
in Grass Valley) pay the $35 ($42 family) yearly fee to CalStar for its
insurance. That coverage provides us an airlift from any trail
in
northern California to the hospital. These insurance payments pay
for
CalStar to operate.
Mt. bikers SHOULD pay this fee as
well, but they need to be informed. If
they have medical insurance, some insurance companies will pick
up some
of the airlift fee. But, other insurers pay nothing at all for
the
substantial (I have heard $10,000 - $45,000) fee. Meaning that CalStar
will bill the patient directly.
If the patient has no insurance (a typical
male, under-30 year old), or
no way to pay CalStar's or the
ER/hospital/rehab fees, that is when the
public is forced to subsidize mt.
biking's serious injuries. The helmet
laws here in CA were passed just because of this type of public
payment
for motor cyclists who were injured.
Considering that mt.
bikers (because of their downhill speed) are
seriously injured more often than hikers, equestrians, anglers, or
other
trail users on public land, it would be great if they are using
public
land that they would be required to show their CalStar insurance card.
But, I bet that will never happen.
-J.
>Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:41:58
-0700
>From: [another friend]
>Subject: Who Pays for Helicopter
Rescues
>
>Mike,
>
>Got word from Marin County Fire
Department's
>Battalion Chief Giannini regarding who pays for
>helicopter service. He says,
>
>"There are a number of
helicopter providers that serve our area.
>The two that are utilized most
often are REACH and CALSTAR.
>These organizations utilize the
helicopter as an "air ambulance".
>Their primary mission is to
transport critical patients to the most
>appropriate hospital with a
helipad. They bill the patient's insurance
>company whenever possible. The County does not pay for any costs
>related to their use."
>
>[Mike, I suspect a useful scenario fitting this example would
be an instance
>where someone has a heart attack
in an area where the nearest hospital
>would be half an hour or more
away by conventional ambulance.]
>
>Chief Giannini
goes on to say,
>
>"If the patient is in an
area that requires the use of a helicopter
>to "extract"
>the patient from a remote
environment, then a rescue helicopter is utilized.
>These are most often provided by
the Sonoma County Sheriffs Department
>and the CHP. It is my understanding that these services do not charge
>for their
>services when they are requested
to provide medical/extrication support. I do
>believe that the Sheriffs helicopter will charge a law
enforcement
>agency if their
>services are requested to assist
in a law enforcement effort. If the
>Marin County
>Sheriffs
Department requested the assistance of the Sonoma County Sheriffs
>helicopter to aid in the search
of a suspect, I believe that Marin
>County would
>be billed for that
service. The variance in the practice lies in how
>the FAA classifies
>the usage of the aircraft."
>
>So, it would appear that if a
mountain biker seriously injures
>himself in an area that can't be
reached by an ambulance, and
>a helicopter is used to
"extract" him and fly him to a hospital,
>it's the taxpayer who likely has
the privilege of paying for
>mountain bikers' stupidity.