To keep emergency services afloat in rural areas, communities will have to go beyond volunteer-based programs to get people to distant hospitals, experts say. Meanwhile, some 911 calls go unanswered.
Medevac helicopter companies are on the congressional radar, as a funding bill for the Federal Aviation Administration nears passage. Consumer protections against deceptive practices could become law.
Without insurance, an ambulance trip can be expensive. A new study suggests people are opting to avoid the cost by using the ride-hailing app, which frees up ambulances for more critical patients.
Chicago's fire department gets 20 times more medical calls than fire calls, but it has twice as many firetrucks as ambulances. Other cities also face this disparity and there are calls for change.
People in big, sparsely populated states like Montana rely on air ambulances to get to medical specialists they need. But the lifesaving flights can be hugely expensive and not covered by insurance.
