That Word Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Means

What do you think of when you hear the word emergency?

According to Webster’s Dictionary an Emergency is “an unforeseen combination of circumstances or the resulting state that calls for immediate action.”

However, insurers in Minnesota think it means something different.

“Minnesota lawmakers are seeking more transparency from air ambulance companies about the prices of their rides, according to the Post Bulletin.”

Why would lawmakers be interested in making these prices transparent, since the only time you would use an Air Ambulance is in an Emergency?

Because customers have received “surprise air ambulance bills …from insurers that have denied claims for emergency transport, saying the rides weren't preauthorized or weren't necessary.”

I have seen my share of unwarranted denials, but this takes the cake. In an emergency there is no time to get a Preauthorization. A Preauthorization is usually required for any type of surgery, lab, test, or medication that will require a significant reimbursement by an insurer. Preauthorization’s can take anywhere from 48 hours to weeks to obtain. Obviously if you are bleeding on the side of the road and will die without immediate medical coverage you cannot wait for a Preauthorization.

As to the necessity, once again, it is self-evident.

It is this idiocracy of thinking by insurance companies that hinder medical decision making. While this is an extreme of insurance meddling in medical decision making, this interference occurs hundreds of times a day in every medical facility across the nation.