Two-thirds, or 69 percent, of roughly 20,700 air ambulance flights were out of network with private health insurers in 2017, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office.
For its report, the agency reviewed private health insurance data for air ambulance transports in 2017, including information on network status and prices charged. The GAO also interviewed officials in six states that varied in their approaches to limit balance billing related to air ambulance transports.
According to the data, the median price charged by air ambulance providers in 2017 was roughly $36,400 for a helicopter ride. For a fixed-wing transport, the median price charged was $40,600.
Nearly all customer complaints the GAO reviewed involved a balance bill of at least $10,000.
"Air ambulance providers that GAO spoke with reported entering into more network contracts recently, which could lower the extent of out-of-network transports in areas covered by the contracts," the agency said.
For the full report, click here.
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