Hiawassee on track to renew emergency flight coverage

HIAWASSEE, Ga. – The City of Hiawassee is on track to renew its emergency medical flight coverage with AirMed at the 2018 rate of $4,900. The item is listed as “new business” on the council’s Oct. 28 agenda.

Towns County citizens are automatically enrolled in coverage, at no charge, through AirMethods – also known as Air Life – an air ambulance service that transports urgent care patients to trauma centers. Residents within the city limits of Hiawassee are dually covered through an additional air flight insurance program with AirMed.

The secondary flight insurance granted to Hiawassee citizens, thanks to the past initiative of Hiawassee Mayor Liz Ordiales, is available for a fee to county residents seeking increased peace of mind. In the event that AirMethods is engaged in service, or grounded due to maintenance, AirMed is dispatched to one of the four landing zones within the county’s perimeter. The cost to those lacking insurance can reach in excess of $30,000 for a single life-saving transport. Additionally, if multiple accident victims are simultaneously in need of advanced medical care, the helicopters are limited to one patient per flight.

The air ambulance is staffed with a pilot, a flight paramedic, and a flight nurse, with the level of service provided equating to that of a portable emergency room. Furthermore, insurance members who have ventured outside the confines of the area are likewise covered if airlifted by an ambulance flight provider.