Any experience with private ambulance services?

[Cathy in IL]

Tonight was our first time using the ambulance in our new home. The only hospital they will transport to is the little community hospital that does not even have a pediatric floor. If I want to get to the children's hospital, I need a private ambulance service, but I don't know how fast or reliable they are.

 

I never thought I would have to think of things like this, but my ds is a high stroke risk. I feel like I need a plan in place to know what I would do if he ever shows signs of having a stroke. He is only 4, but he has sickle cell and moyamoya syndrome which are both risk factors for stroke. We monitor him closely with regular scans. We may soon begin monthly blood transfusion therapy to reduce his risk of stroke. It just scares me because I have seen too many children who have had strokes, and it is so very sad to see. I try not to worry, but I do need an action plan.

[Claire]

No experience here, but I would definitely find out what private ambulance services are available in your area and call each one to ask them how large they are, how long they've been in business, how fast they could get to your house, how they would treat a 4yo like your son, how much they would cost, etc. I just Googled "private ambulance service" faq and came up with websites all over the country (and in England). They appear to be sprouting up everywhere, and some cities have apparently hired them to do all of their ambulance work. In your situation, I wouldn't hesitate to use a private ambulance service.

[Annie G]

While he was having his heart attack at our local hospital, we were told he'd need to be transported to another hospital and asked if we had a preferred private ambulance service. It felt like I had forgotten to do homework...they asked it so casually that it seemed they assumed EVERYONE had a favorite.

It worked out fine, except that the insurance company refused to pay for cardiac monitoring on the way to the new hospital. For a man having a heart attack.

We were raised in the south so maybe private ambulances are the norm in Illinois...but nobody told us that when we moved here. I pray you find a solution that gives you peace.

[Sharon H in IL]

Well, I've never heard of this, but maybe that's what the ambulances around here are, and I just didn't know. If someone asked me, I'd be standing there with a sick feeling in my stomach too. Was I supposed to know this stuff? Huh?

 

And nuts to your insurance company, Annie. Was your DH ok?

 

Hugs to you, Cathy. I wish all the little ones didn't have to deal with the pain that life sometimes dumps on them. Sickle cell is so hard.

[G5052]

If you call 911 in our area, they take you to a small local hospital for evaulation and then onto another hospital if the ER doctor deems you stable for transport and clears it (which could mean that your problem is too "big" for that hospital or that a specialist at another hospital has requested that you go there and talks to the local ER doc).

 

Several years ago DH needed to be admitted to the regional hospital an hour away per one of his specialists (I had been on the phone with him over the weekend), but he could not walk and needed to get there within 2-3 hours, which probably wouldn't have happened if I called 911. I called the non-emergency line for the sherrif's office, and they recommended a private ambulance service. They came within 30 minutes of my call and got him to the large regional hospital in well under 2 hours total. Insurance paid 80% of it after the doctor wrote a letter authorizing it.

 

The only downside was that we did have to wait (they were all on calls when I phoned), but they were very competant. I wouldn't use them in an utter emergency, but it worked when I needed them.

 

You probably want to investigate what the procedures are at your local hospital for transferring patients and how quickly the private ambulances can respond in your area.

[Annie G]

And nuts to your insurance company, Annie. Was your DH ok?

 

Yeah, he's ok. They didn't pay for the cardiac monitoring but that was small $ compared to dh's buddy who had to be airlifted and had to pay a few THOUSAND for that ride after he learned the insurance company covered little of it.

 

Dh has 8 stents and has been in cardiac rehab for nearly 2 years...it's an ongoing issue but we're dealing with it.

 

Cathy, you're so smart to have an action plan. Talk to the ambulance providers...you might be pleasantly surprised. Do you live in a fairly small town? I ask because our town has 25,000 people and we now know some of those folks and that personal connection eases my mind.

Would your doctor say to get to the local hospital and then arrange for the transport? Our hospital routinely transports to larger hospitals but they can often stabilize a patient before they have to make that trip, which in your case might make a big difference.

[Georgie]

Ask specifically what kind of training their drivers and techs have when they pick up your son. You might be surprised at how little some of them require for their techs. Sometimes drivers are training and do not have emt certificates yet. As for the techs in back, I think different states require different things. Some services do not require the same certificates a paramedic through a local fire department needs. Some agencies do have paramedics on staff, but there may not be enough to cover all the shifts. Plus some of the agencies may not pay very well and there might be times where some of their techs are working double shifts because of lack of staff. Be very specific when you ask about the qualifications of the driver and tech and make sure you spell it out clearly what you expect of their services.

 

Hope this helps.