Smithville Approves $13,000 Contract for Free Air Ambulance Service for Residents

Come May 1, Smithville residents who have emergency or life-threatening injuries or illnesses and need to be taken to a hospital by helicopter may get that air transportation service for free.

On Monday, the City Council approved a one-year contract with PHI Air Medical to provide no-cost emergency medical air transportation to Smithville residents.

The PHI Air Medical membership program, called PHI Cares, will cover the 1,481 households, or about 4,000 residents, who live within the city limits. Smithville residents who use PHI Air Medical helicopters to be flown to a hospital will not receive a bill for the service nor will they be required to pay any out-of-pocket expense for it.

"For those citizens with insurance (including Medicare patients), the agreement will cover all co-pays, deductibles and remaining balances on PHI transports," City Manager Robert Tamble told the Smithville Times. "For those without insurance, the agreement will cover payment in full."

The medical air transportation service will cost the city $13,329, or $9 per household, which will be paid for from existing revenue from film permits, Tamble said. The city's contract expires April 30, 2021.

On average, the cost for air medical transportation in large metropolitan areas is $15,000 per flight, though in rural communities, like Smithville, that average cost can climb to $30-35,000, Tamble said.

This agreement "will give everybody in town peace of mind that they don't have to worry about a big bill if they have to get PHI Air out," Mayor Scott Saunders said after the council's vote to approve the contract. "That's a huge relief for a lot of people."

But there are caveats to this agreement. PHI Air Medical is not the only air ambulance provider that serves Bastrop County, and the membership does not cover transportation costs if another provider — such as Travis County's STAR Flight — is called to the scene.

"A PHI aircraft may not be available at the time a flight request is made due to inclement weather, the PHI aircraft being in service at the time of the request, the PHI aircraft undergoing maintenance or repairs, weight limitations of the PHI aircraft, or other reasons that make the PHI aircraft unavailable to respond to a request," the contract reads. "Further, medical or dispatch personnel may call another air ambulance provider in which event your PHI Cares membership will not cover the medical transport."

PHI Air Medical also says it has the right to consult with other healthcare providers or dispatch agencies to determine whether air transport is medically necessary and appropriate. The contract also excludes recipients of Medicaid benefits from membership.

Expanding coverage

The city's agreement with PHI Air Medical goes into effect May 1. Membership stickers and program information will be included in residents' May utility bill.

Residents have the option to upgrade, on their own, to a full national household membership for $35 per year that will provide air transportation coverage anywhere within PHI's nine-state service area, which includes Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. Under the city's contract, residents may only be flown for free from anywhere within Smithville and Bastrop County.

Residents wanting to upgrade their membership may do so by emailing the PHI membership department at [email protected] or by calling 1-888-435-9744.

Phi Air Medical advises residents to always call 911 first for medical emergencies. The company said emergency dispatchers will determine if ground or air ambulance is needed.

If a resident is transported by PHI Air Medical, they should notify the PHI Cares membership department at 1-888-435-9744 and provide the city of Smithville's membership number — which is GHLMS-20-89997 — as well as their date of transport.

The city of Bastrop also provides this service to its residents. Bastrop's $18,126 annual contract went into effect Feb. 1.

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