February 14, 2018

County will no longer buy subscription plan with Valley Med Flight air ambulance

By Betsy Ryan
Farmer Staff Writer

Sometimes, when injury or sickness is severe, transport is required to get patients from McKenzie County to a larger hospital. In critical situations, patients are flown in an air ambulance.
According to Jon Godfread, North Dakota Insurance Department commissioner, from 2013 to 2017 his department received 34 complaints about air ambulance bills. The complaints totalled $1.86 million in charges not covered by insurance agencies for air ambulance services.
Based on those complaints, an air ambulance ride cost the consumer an average of $54,705.
To keep down and cover the costs of an air ambulance ride for its residents, McKenzie County entered into a subscription with Valley Med Flight. Many counties in the state signed up for the same subscription.
Upon further review, believing that those subscriptions were not in a county’s best interest, Senate Bill 2231 was passed at the last legislative session, making the subscriptions previously carried by counties throughout the state unnecessary.

For the full story, subscribe to the McKenzie County Farmer

WATFORD CITY WEATHER