Mark Huber is an aviation industry veteran who has worked in the flight training, aircraft sales, aircraft component, and airport development businesses. He has flight time in more than 50 different and diverse aircraft, including helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, vintage warbirds, jet fighters, business jets and turboprops, and transport-category aircraft. He has jumped out of several of these—on purpose—with a parachute. His defense and aviation journalism has been published in a variety of national and international periodicals.

Contributor

Mark Huber

The cost of helicopter air ambulance transport continued to soar between 2017 and 2020, rising 22.2 percent in the U.S., more than three times the cumulative 6 percent inflation rate for those years. That's&nbsp;according to a study from Fair Health, a nonprofit organization that manages a healthcare database of privately billed healthcare claims. However, the rate of increase closely matches&nbsp;the overall medical inflation rate of 22.9 percent for the period.&nbsp;

 


Between 2017 and 2020, the average charge for helicopter transports rose from $24,924 to $30,446, while the average charge&nbsp;for fixed-wing transports increased even more, by 27.6 percent, from $19,210 to $24,507. Meanwhile, the average Medicare reimbursement rate for the period for both forms of transport increased only 4.7 percent, rising&nbsp;from $3,570 to $3,739 for helicopter transports and from $3,071 to $3,216 for fixed-wing transports.

 


Covid transports accounted for 7 percent of fixed-wing transports in 2020. In that year, the states with the highest use of helicopter air ambulances—as a percentage of medical claims filed—were Idaho, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming, while those flying the longest-distance transports were&nbsp;Hawaii (126 miles), North Dakota (115 miles), Wyoming (110 miles), Nebraska (94 miles), and New Mexico (90 miles).

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

Air Ambulance Charges Continue Rapid Ascent

The cost of air ambulance transports increased by three to four times the inflation rate between 2017 and 2020. 

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charlotte Bailey

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

Pentagon permission facilitates sale of Bell 412EXP and 407M

U.S. Approves $800M Bell 407/412 Sale to Iraq Military

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

Fire and disaster management agency to use aircraft in aerial reconnaissance role

Japan Orders Its First H160 for Emergency Response

Flights with two scaled technology demonstrators will inform potential future iterations 

Singaporean eVTOL Conducts Test Campaign In Germany 

Matt Thurber

New developments and products in avionics, specifically about aircraft electronics in the cockpit.

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

More In Rotorcraft

U.S. Approves $800M Bell 407/412 Sale to Iraq Military

Pentagon permission facilitates sale of Bell 412EXP and 407M

Japan Orders Its First H160 for Emergency Response

Fire and disaster management agency to use aircraft in aerial reconnaissance role

Singaporean eVTOL Conducts Test Campaign In Germany

Flights with two scaled technology demonstrators will inform potential future iterations

FAA Approves TSO for ASU Panoramic Night-vision Goggles

Lightweight white-phosphor NVG have a 94-degree field of view

FAA Floats Special Conditions for Skyryse Fly-by-wire R66

Proposed rule addresses pilot awareness of control limits

Vertical Lift Groups Extend Trade Show Partnership

European Helicopter Association and Vertical Aviation International extended their alliance

Sikorsky Is Upgrading the Black Hawk Helicopter for Evolving Military Needs

Armed forces will be able to outfit Black Hawks with new armament and equipment.

Sikorsky’s S-97 Raider Points to a New Level of Performance for Future Helicopters

Originally developed for the U.S. military, X2 technology is in search of a new customer.

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN