Summary
Excellus policy 11.01.06 considers air ambulance transport medically appropriate only to the nearest facility that can provide the appropriate care, when the individual's condition required immediate and rapid transport to minimize risk of death or deterioration that could not have been provided by land ambulance, and either the pick-up point is inaccessible by land vehicle or great distances or other obstacles would affect transport to the nearest appropriate hospital by ground. Hospital-to-hospital air transport is medically appropriate when the transfer is to a higher level of care hospital for medical services unavailable at the transferring facility and ground ambulance would endanger the individual's health, and it is considered not medically appropriate for transport to a non-acute care facility or for non-emergent transport of a stabilized individual. The 03/19/26 annual review removed emergent or urgent conditions from the policy statements.
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