Health Department offers plan to reduce air ambulance costs

SHERIDAN — The Wyoming Department of Health released its proposed plan to create affordable air ambulance services in Wyoming.

The proposed plan is trying to decrease the air ambulance cost and increase the availability of the service in Wyoming, said Franz Fuchs, policy coordinator and legislative liaison for the DOH.

Sheridan Memorial Hospital currently contracts its air ambulance services to Medical Air Rescue Company and has a helicopter base located in Sheridan.

According to DOH, the average flight costs a Wyoming employer is $36,000. Medicare would pay 59% of the cost in 2015.

Part...