The MCDH first responder teams include the pilots, physicians and nurses from CalStar and Reach, two private helicopter medivac units. Depending on the nature of the emergency, these flying intensive care units might pick up a patient from an accident site and take them to our local hospital or transfer a critically-ill patient to a large medical center for advanced care.
A note about air ambulance costs: for those not covered by insurance, both CalStar and Reach offer annual individual memberships ($40) and family memberships ($45 a primary cardholder and spouse or partner and other immediate family living in the same residence). Membership covers the cost of an emergency flight, which can run $30,000 or more. You need memberships from both services to have full coverage, but the investment can be a financial lifesaver in the end.
For memberships:
CalStar – http://www.calstar.org/
Phone: 707.462.5972
Fax: 707.462.5974
Email: Dpardee@calstar.org
REACH - http://www.reachair.com/
Phone: 866 767-3224 (toll free) Fax: 707 324-2478
Email: membership@REACHair.com