Air medical flights raise membership questions

As of June 1, a single AirLink or Life Flight Network membership will no longer provide Sisters Country residents with complete coverage for air medical membership services.

This is the result of a change in ownership of AirLink Critical Care Transport, which has been sold by the St. Charles Health System. On June 1, AirLink will be under new ownership and no longer have reciprocity with other air medical membership programs in the Pacific Northwest or Intermountain West. To have complete membership coverage for air medical services in Central Oregon, AirLink and Life Flight Network memberships will be necessary.

Previously, AirLink and Life Flight Network belonged to the same affiliation of not-for-profit air medical service providers, which provided reciprocity between the affiliated membership programs. On June 1, AirLink will be owned by a for-profit corporation and will become part of the AirMedCare Network. AirMedCare is the largest air medical membership network in the country.

With two separate networks of air medical membership providers serving our area, reciprocity between AirLink and Life Flight Network will no longer be possible.

With the opening of Life Flight Network's helicopter base in Redmond, Sisters residents have been served by two air medical providers since February 2012. Life Flight's Redmond helicopter has become the closest air medical resource for Sisters, so it is now the helicopter that is dispatched first when an air ambulance is requested by emergency personnel.

Local emergency officials are recommending Life Flight Network membership to those that previously had only an AirLink membership.

Sisters emergency officials say that dual memberships are prudent because: 1) If Life Flight Network's helicopter is unavailable due to being on another mission, grounded due to weather in Redmond, or various other reasons, AirLink is the next closest resource and will be automatically dispatched. 2) There are several locations in Central Oregon where AirLink is the closest air medical resource. In those areas, AirLink will be the air resource that is dispatched first. 3) For hospital patients that need to be transported from a St. Charles Health System hospital to another hospital, AirLink serves as the primary provider for those inter-hospital transfers.

FireMed membership for ground ambulance service is separate from air medical service memberships. Although FireMed and air medical membership may be purchased at the same time and utilizing the same application form, the membership programs are separate entities. FireMed membership will continue to be honored by other participating programs.

Complete FireMed, AirLink and Life Flight Network coverage can be obtained for less than $15 per month.

You can inform your physician, fire department or ambulance personnel that you are a member of a specific air medical service membership; and request that service to be dispatched. However, there is no guarantee that your specific service provider will be available at your time of need. In addition, if you are not conscious or mentally competent at your time of need, the choice will be made for you; and most likely without knowledge of your membership provider.

Additional information regarding air medical service memberships, service areas and reciprocating partners may be obtained from each provider: AirLink, www.airlinkcct.org, 541-706-6305 or 800-353-0497; Life Flight, www.lifeflight.org, 503-678-4370 or 800-982-9299.

For information on air medical service and FireMed membership, contact the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire District at 541-549-0771.