We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Go ahead Medevac 111 Whiskey Bravo., Pilot: They did a phenomenal job transporting our son from Cancun Mexico to the Cleveland Clinic in Weston Florida! There, Shapiro took another boat to the largest island, Tortola. Shapiro said the specialized Learjet owned by REVA sounds impressive, but it was actually quite cramped. Once all appeals are exhausted, we work with patients families in a compassionate way to resolve any outstanding balance based on the patients ability to pay, Mr. Vogel said in a statement, adding that the appeal process can take up to 18 months. REVAs fleet includes 16 dedicated air-ambulance aircraft maintained to specifications that routinely exceed FAA-approved aircraft inspection programs. All Rights Reserved. Ed White, the lawyer representing Ms. Pence, said his practice currently has about 100 clients who received large, unexpected bills from air ambulance companies. They wouldnt even pay to get me from the island to Fort Lauderdale (about half of his out-of-pocket costs). Reva, Inc. | Better Business Bureau Profile Presentation Mode Open Print Download Current View. They were told the helicopter ride would take about half an hour, said Ms. Silvy, 33. In hindsight, of course it wasnt, Shapiro said. How can you not have paid the first half of it? he asked. Robert Shapiro said once he got to nearby British Virgin Islands, doctors recommended he take an emergency medical flight because they had no cardiologist, its hospital decimated by a 2017 hurricane. It also provided a place for consumers to report air ambulance overcharges on the Department of Transportation website. Washington, DC 20590855-368-4200. Search for air ambulance companies based on location, ratings, accreditations and more. In retrospect, Shapiro said, the air ambulance bill might have an even bigger impact on his life than the heart attack. Shapiro says they were told of no limitations on where he could go for treatment. The upfront payment in that case was $38,135. So Excellus takes it out of me? he said. Patients and their families get caught in the middle.. What sticks, sticks.. He is survived by his father Michael, his mother Cindy, brother Sean and dozens of other family members and hundreds of friends and work colleagues. REVA could technically go after Shapiro personally. Itll put a crimp in other plans, he said, declining to be more specific. Air Ambulance Overbilling Class-Action Lawsuit - McIntyre Law P.C. But they had limitations: no cardiologist, no catheterization lab.. Average REVA Air Ambulance hourly pay ranges from approximately $12.50 per hour for Human Resources Intern to $146 per hour for Emergency Medicine Physician. You were transported by an air ambulance to a hospital in Syracuse, New York, far from the location of the nearest hospital that could provide the appropriate care. reva air ambulance lawsuit Go to First Page Go to Last Page. You were transported by an air ambulance to a hospital in Syracuse, New York, far from the location of the nearest hospital that could provide the appropriate care. The $36,000 was just a retainer.. In some cases, we will appeal decisions to provide the best coverage. Its fleet includes 12 Series 35 Learjets, two Cessna Series 500 Citation jets and one Cessna 402 prop-plane. The $36,000 was just a retainer., Boston EMT Stabbed by Patient in Ambulance, EMTs Face Real Danger While Helping Public, California Dispatcher Helps Deliver Baby Over the Phone, 3 People Survive Medevac Alaska Christmas Eve Crash, Pilot Dies as Medical Helicopter Crashes on Christmas, NY Man Gets $656,063 Air Medical Bill Not a misprint. Ground ambulances are often fully covered by insurance. REVA sets the standard in the air-ambulance industry by providing the highest level of medical professionals on all services. REVA Air Ambulance employs upward of 300 people in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Medevac 111 Whiskey Bravo requests new destination. Members of the certified class receive compensation based on what the court decides. Sarah Williamson, 38, of Bend, Ore., used the online form in February to complain about Life Flight Network, the company based in Aurora, Ore., that transported her 2-year-old son, Grant Williamson, by plane to a childrens hospital in Portland, Ore., in 2018 after doctors discovered he had a chest tumor so large he was struggling to breathe. His 5-month-old daughter, Nellie, had come down with respiratory syncytial virus, or R.S.V., and needed to be transported to a hospital with a special machine to help her breathe. But Shapiro says his health insurance covered such emergencies and, he added, the global Blue Cross rep he contacted confirmed that. Government As a result, REVA is now considered a NAAMTA Alliance member. But patients dont typically get to choose which provider they use, so if a different company arrived at the scene during an emergency, the membership would offer no cost advantage. Average REVA Air Ambulance hourly pay ranges from approximately $12.50 per hour for Human Resources Intern to $146 per hour for Emergency Medicine Physician. . We didnt realize how quickly your baby could get sick and how bad, Nellies mother, Rose Silvy, said. Hed have to fight REVA in court, too. For now, Excellus hasnt paid REVA a dime and REVA hasnt billed Shapiro directly, he said, citing insurance statements. But two days before their planned return, on April 12, 2018, Shapiro said he started feeling weak. But Excellus is citing the $656,063 figure in denying any payment at all, he said. Weve been transporting patients to the care they need for more than 30 years. Get Directions. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. We were in shock, said Ms. Pence, 40, a lawyer who lives in a suburb of Tulsa, Okla. We had no idea this was going to happen.. We get paid if, and only if, you do. Hopefully you are not making this claim based on information you found on the internet?, The letter continued: Life Flight Network questions how filing a claim with an insurance carrier and then invoicing the patient for their portion of the bill constitutes aggressive billing tactics.. Then comes a bill, sometimes upward of $50,000. Shapiro said he hasnt been personally billed the $656,063 by REVA. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The Logistics in Guatemala was very smooth with the help of MecCoos J.H.. The doctors acted quickly. REVA Air Ambulances roots date back to 1996 when the company Aerojet was founded. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Our more than 350 employees are trained and educated to standards higher than the industry requires. You may only have a limited time to file a lawsuit to recover excessive air ambulance costs. To make up the deficit, the group says, those who are commercially insured must shoulder a greater burden. It merged with Air Ambulance Professions in 2013 to form REVA Air Ambulance. The insurer has not yet responded in court, but their explanations were contained in Shapiros court filings. Shapiros flight took off from the Virgin Islands and stopped to refuel in Fort Lauderdale, about halfway home. "Depending on the patient-passenger's condition, a doctor is aboard but more often a nurse and paramedic are on the flight.". And REVA, the air ambulance that flew Shapiro, billed for more than a half-million dollars in a similar fight in 2017. He had angina, chest pain caused by reduced blood flow, and a-fib, the medical term for an irregular heartbeat. People are having their savings drained and credit ruined by these In late May, Shapiro filed a lawsuit against Excellus on two fronts: demanding the insurer repay him $36,000 for his out-of-pocket air ambulance fee Kenneth Ricci is a 40-year aviation industry veteran who today is a Principal of Directional Aviation Capital which owns various aviation enterprises including Flexjet, Sentient Jet, PrivateFly, Tuvoli, Nextant Aerospace, Stonebriar Commercial Finance, Reva Air Ambulance, Corporate Wings, Simcom and Constant Aviation. He thinks its a ploy by the company to settle with Excellus. If you or a loved one has been charged a high fee for an air ambulance ride and would like to try to recover some of those costs, contact McIntyre Law today to see how we can help. But, he says, the bigger pain came later. Our air-ambulance team is comprised of experienced specialists who have completed over 30,000 flights in 70 countries. September 08, 2015, Contact: Bryan Glazer World Satellite Television News 212-673-4400 Bryan@Televisionews.com . It was worth the risk to come home.. Over the past five years, more than a dozen other federal lawsuits have accused air ambulance providers of unfair billing practices. Matt Baumgartner wins first-impression lawsuit limiting excessive air ambulance fees. Evidence-based guidance. He took the two-week trip with his wife, Patricia, aboard Silverseas Silver Muse cruise ship. The company says it is organizing a jet aircraft flyover salute for some time after the funeral. Piper required heart surgery soon after she was born, resulting in an air ambulance bill that came to nearly $60,000. This story was originally published on Sept. 4, 2019 in NYT Parenting. REVA's team exudes professionalism and competence in my humble opinion. View job description, responsibilities and qualifications. If there are no rewards from your air ambulance case, you dont pay the lawyer. I have been a mobile intensive care paramedic and flight paramedic for over 25 years and I know professionalism when I see it. It wasnt long after Kathleen Pence gave birth to her third child, a girl named Piper, that she learned her newborn would need heart surgery. We have over 17,000 combined successful missions Kenansville, Florida, United States 251-500 Private www.flyreva.com 252,615 Highlights Acquisitions 1 Contacts 69 Employee Profiles 1 Similar Companies 13 Nov 19, 2013 for an undisclosed amount Consumer Reports noted the average cost for a U.S. air ambulance topped $50,000 in 2016. But two days before their planned return, on April 12, 2018, Shapiro said he started feeling weak. Kall tried to describe his clients predicament in a September 2018 letter. Youre still going to come after us for this remainder?. The company is part of a global medevac network, empowering REVA to arrange for private medical air transportation from virtually any point on the planet to the U.S. and elsewhere. But the cost has not decreased: Air ambulance prices doubled between 2010 and 2014, according to a 2017 Government Accountability Office report. As reported by Syracuse.com, Robert Shapiro said once he got to nearby British Virgin Islands, doctors recommended he take an emergency medical flight because they had no cardiologist, its hospital decimated by a 2017 hurricane. Ms. Williamson said she had considered the assistance program, but shied away after learning it required sensitive financial information. Humana wins dismissal of air ambulance company's underpayment suit He and his wife were aboard, along with two medical professionals and one or two pilots, he said. He could barely walk during a trip to one of the local islands. A Vermont doctor, injured while on vacation in the Dominican Republic, took a REVA Learjet the same type of plane that transported Shapiro back home. Shapiro, who is president and ownership partner of Central New Yorks Tile & Carpet Town, had no complaints about his treatment, from the cruise ship to the island to the air ambulance crew. Despite the difficulties each family faced after being billed tens of thousands of dollars, taking an air ambulance never seemed optional, they said. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". In addition, the report said, the median price charged by air ambulance providers was about $36,400 for a helicopter and $40,600 for an airplane transport, typically used for longer trips. LIV JETS, LLC, Jacobo Adolpho Artieda Bercovici, LivJets and Jacob Bercovici, US District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Insurance Process REVA's insurance reimbursement specialists find coverage to help remove financial barriers to a patient's care. If Excellus reimbursed Shapiro acknowledging he was covered would that open the door for REVA to demand the full amount from the insurer? Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309-3055. "They turned down the entire trip," he said. As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, members of the parliament Natalia Koroliovska and Yurii Solod of the Opposition Bloc faction have asked the parliament to dismiss Reva. We are acutely aware of and sympathetic to the stress and financial difficulties large or unexpected medical bills cause many patients not just those that require emergency air transports, Mr. Flanders said. A representative, Ian Probst, researched their policy and determined Shapiro was covered for air transportation and all medical needs, according to the lawsuit. Despite our best efforts to contract with more of them, the ability to bill the consumer for the balance provides little incentive for some air ambulance providers to contract with us.. Bryan Glazer World Satellite Television News & Media Relations 212-673-4400 Bryan(at)Televisionews(dot)com . Thanks for all your help over the years. How much do REVA employees make? Judge Finds Airline Act Preempts Air Ambulance's Claims Against Health Im going to sign whatever they give me to get going.. He thinks its a ploy by the company to settle with Excellus. REVA sets the standard in the air-ambulance industry by providing the highest level of medical professionals on all services. The world has been led by intensive and extensive waves of darkness from renaissance all the way down to the Covid crisis. Two of the biggest air ambulance providers are owned by private equity firms. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Roger Medevac 111 Whisky Bravo is cleared to Heaven with an unrestricted and unlimited climb., Pilot: A Vermont doctor, injured while on vacation in the Dominican Republic, took a REVA Learjet -- the same type of plane that transported Shapiro -- back home. Its fleet includes 12 Series 35. "They wouldn't even pay to get me from the island to Fort Lauderdale (about half of his out-of-pocket costs). 2023 Thomson Reuters. The cost of uncompensated care can be tremendous and it is by far the largest component of any bill, Mr. Eastlee said. A new single-engine helicopter that is equipped as an ambulance can cost $4 million to purchase, and the cost of each flight could be between $7,400 and $10,000. Shapiro said an Excellus rep had promised beforehand that the air ambulance bill would be covered. REVAs mission is to provide safe, efficient, compassionate, air-ambulance transportation across the country, and overseas, to every patient we take into our care. Bobcat Loses Power Under Load, AND SUPREME COURT AND CONSULAR GAZETTE WEEKLY EDITION OF THE NORTH-CHINA DAILY NEWS: Registered ab the Chinese P. 0. for transmission as mail matter under Class B. Some families, especially those who live in rural areas, pay for a yearly membership offered by some air ambulance providers, which covers costs that insurance doesnt pay. REVA Air Ambulance Ms. Wray was pregnant at the time. But if you were there at the time, and all the doctors were saying take it, and you took the extra steps of calling just to make sure this didnt happen, its amazing this did happen.. What sticks, sticks.. That leaves those on private insurance with exorbitant bills to make up the difference, a trade group president told Consumer Reports in 2017. The insurer upheld its denial within an internal appeals process, then sent the case to an independent reviewer under a state program. The Silvys had medical insurance with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield through Mr. Silvys employer. At the time, we thought it was life and death, Shapiro told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard recently. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". So far, she said, she hasnt received any response to her D.O.T. We will answer all of your related insurance questions and manage all of your insurance procedures. The main hospital was still half-closed following Hurricane Maria in September 2017, which had heavily damaged Tortola before decimating Puerto Rico, he said. Glassdoor has salaries, wages, tips, bonuses, and hourly pay based upon employee reports and estimates. REVA will always be my first and only choice for air medical evacuation, without hesitation. Frankly, I just feel like theyre preying on people at the worst time of their lives., [The topics parents are talking about. For those on Medicare or Medicaid, the government only pays between $200 and $6,000 per transport. Kall tried to describe his clients predicament in a September 2018 letter. Directional embraces people, culture and world-class infrastructure. Ms. Pence is one of the lead plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit filed in July against Air Methods and Rocky Mountain Holdings. They turned down the entire trip, he said. If you get stuck with a high air-ambulance bill, industry experts and consumer advocates say there are things you can do. As proof they noted that he decided to fly all the way home to Syracuse instead of getting help as soon as he reached U.S. soil. Shapiro said that he has notes proving medical necessity from doctors on the British Virgin Islands, from the air ambulance company and from his own cardiologist at St. Josephs Hospital Health Center. REVA's staff informs family members and caregivers of patient's status, throughout a flight, and are always available to answer questions. Air ambulance lawsuits are filed due to gross overcharging of medevac transportation, leaving victims with astronomical medical bills. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. State legislators are also debating how to reduce air ambulance bills. Reva Air Ambulance 1745 NW 51st Pl Hngr 73 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 (954) 730-9300 OVERVIEW PHYSICIANS AT THIS PRACTICE Overview Reva Air Ambulance is a Practice with 1 Location.. You couldnt stand up in it., Grateful that his condition wasnt worse, Shapiro said he expected Excellus to challenge the bill. As proof they noted that he decided to fly all the way home to Syracuse instead of getting help as soon as he reached U.S. soil. JetPhotos.com is the biggest database of aviation photographs with over 4 million screened photos online! An official website of the United States government Here's how you know. We didnt have anything in writing, Shapiro acknowledged. Texas Air Ambulance Service Aero Med Express provides air ambulance and medical jet services to and from Texas for patients requiring a medical air transfer. Not to mention the $600,000(-plus) bill hanging over my head.. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Contact McIntyre Law to speak with an air ambulance attorney today! Well dot the Is, cross the Ts, so red tape doesnt follow you on your journey. Looking at the event through the retrospectoscope is all wrong. REVA Air Ambulance - Company Profile and News - Bloomberg Markets Air Ambulance Service in Fort Lauderdale, FL. If you or someone in your family has been overbilled for an air ambulance, you need more than just the bill to file a lawsuit. Because neither is a publicly held corporation, they are not required to submit reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission, making industry data harder to obtain. Shapiro wondered. Is The Jockey Lot Open Today, No matter where you live, you can be part of this suit. Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield refused to repay Shapiro for any part of the 1,800-mile trip home to Syracuse. The doctor immediately put him on a gurney and arranged a short boat ride to the British Virgin Islands. About four months later, Ms. Pence and her family received a bill for nearly $60,000 from Rocky Mountain Holdings, which is operated by Air Methods, the largest air ambulance company in the country. Doctors on the 24,000-person island worried he might have a blocked artery, which could cause stroke or worse, Shapiro said. How can you even turn that down?. Thats when Shapiros wife, Patricia, said she called Blue Cross Blue Shield Global. Last updated: Monday, April 15, 2019 So, companies are paying high costs to maintain these helicopters, but there is more supply than demand. In retrospect, Shapiro said, the air ambulance bill might have an even bigger impact on his life than the heart attack. Those two companies, along with PHI Air Medical (which filed for bankruptcy in March), operated 73 percent of the countrys air ambulance helicopters in 2016, according to the G.A.O. For now, Excellus hasnt paid REVA a dime and REVA hasnt billed Shapiro directly, he said, citing insurance statements.