Grandmother's family hit with £63,855 for ambulance ride before she died

27 February 2024 , 23:56

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Debra Prichard suffered a severe stroke and multiple aneurysms, needing urgent medical attention (Image: Getty Images)

The family of a grandmother was left shocked after getting a huge bill for $81,000 (£63,855) for her ambulance ride to the hospital before she died.

Debra Prichard, who used to work in a factory and lived in the countryside in Tennessee, had a severe stroke and aneurysms last year. She needed help fast. and was taken from her local hospital to a large hospital in Nashville, 79 miles away, because they have expert neurologists.

Sadly, she died on October 31 when she was 70 years old. Before she passed though, Debra was flown to the hospital in Nashville by a helicopter ambulance from Med-Trans Corp., which is part of Global Medical Response.

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An air ambulance helped the woman reach medical care, but the incredible bill may leave her family going without (Getty Images/Image Source)

The bill for flying in the helicopter was a huge $81,739.40 (£63,855), and her insurance wouldn't pay for it, says her daughter, Alicia Wieberg. Nicole Michel, who speaks for Global Medical Response, said to KFF Health News: "Our patient advocacy team is actively engaged with Ms. Wieberg's attorney to determine if there was any other applicable medical coverage on the date of service that we could bill to. If not, we are fully committed to working with Ms. Wieberg, as we do with all our patients, to find an equitable solution."

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The senior citizen's family now faces the whopping air ambulance bill, which adds to a growing list of high fees that have been causing a stir and caught the government's attention in recent years. While a new law in 2022 called 'No Surprises Act' helps to protect people with private insurance from high bills, those who have public coverage like Medicare can still face financially tough times.

Despite efforts to negotiate with the ambulance provider, Prichard's estate remains liable (Getty Images)

Prichard was covered by Medicare Part A insurance, but she chose not to have ambulance services under Part B, likely because she wanted to avoid paying extra each month. Because of this, her estate has to pay the complete air ambulance fee. This could possibly swallow up a large chunk of her assets, including her house and land in Decherd, Tennessee.

Meena Seshamani, director of the Centre for Medicare, said: "If someone with Medicare finds that they are having difficulty paying the Medicare Part B premiums, there are resources available to help compare Medicare coverage choices and learn about options to help pay for Medicare costs."

Despite attempts to talk and seek help from Medicare and the ambulance, Prichard's estate is still responsible for the enormous bill. Wieberg, upset about how tricky it is to understand Medicare, asked why important things like ambulance trips aren't part of the main coverage.

She said: "Anybody past the age of 70 is likely going to need both. And so why make it a decision of what you can afford or not afford, or what you think you're going to use or not use?"

Vassia Barba