Not Hitting the Jackpot

“Our client had a heart attack,” explained the dispatcher from Universal Assistance. “He wants to go home, but the specialist says he needs a doctor. We have hired a medical flight, and we want to know if you can go to New York. You come back the same day.”

Experts advise waiting a week or two after a heart attack to fly, but no one knows the risks of flying earlier because no one does. An expert who suggests that a physician go along is covering his ass, not delivering advice based on evidence.

Still, the insurer had agreed, no minor matter when an air ambulance coast to coast costs about $40,000. I had no idea what I would earn; nor did the dispatcher, but it would be breathtaking. Hiring a doctor for a day to testify in a malpractice trial runs to $7000.

I still remember with pleasure the single occasion I flew first class. Flying in a private jet while earning the price of a European vacation might leave an even better memory.

But would the patient require a doctor’s skills? It was unlikely, but I could not dismiss the possibility. Like most doctors, I can perform basic CPR, but I and most doctors have long since forgotten advanced CPR: complex drugs and techniques required for various cardiac malfunctions. Emergency room doctors, paramedics, and ICU nurses deal with these.

Wistfully, I informed the dispatcher that those were the appropriate escorts. 

Paying for Paramedics

Hotel guests, Americans above all, do not like paying for a housecall. Many, if they are feeling bad, decide to “call an ambulance.”

Paramedics know their business. If the guest requires urgent attention, they’ll take him to a hospital. If not, they might still transport him because they don’t like to take chances. If the situation is clearly not urgent, they’ll tell him to consult a doctor. Sometimes I end up making the visit.

Paramedics are city employees, so their services are free. But for reasons unclear to me, transportation in an ambulance is not free. If paramedics take you to a hospital, the city will send you a bill. Like all medical services in America, the cost will take your breath away.