Medical Helicopter Bills for Cibola County Resident
Dear editor, I took my wife of 33+ years at 3:30 AM to the Cibola Hospital last week. The doctor requested that she be taken via ambulance to Albuquerque right away. We were told the local PHI Helicopter would take her, we agreed, knowing we had purchased the PHI Cares coverage last year for both of us for around $200. There was no severe weather or any overweight issues with my wife, and PHI refused to take her. Another Helicopter from Albuquerque was dispatched to take her, but it had to turn around and take her right back to Albuquerque, making two trips.
In the Cibola Citizen article dated February 19, 2025 “Initiative implemented by County Manager, Kate Fletcher, and County Commissioners to cover vital air medical transport for Cibola residents Medically Necessary air transports of PHI Cares members results in no out-of-pocket expenses for in county or adjacent county pick-ups when flown by PHI Air Medical Cibola, NM, January 2025, it was reported the County Commissioners of Cibola County and County Kate Fletcher, have approved their air medical agreement with PHI Cares, a division of PHI Air Medical, a leading U.S. helicopter based medical transport provider. Residents requiring authorized emergency air medical transport from Cibola or its adjacent county.”
We are now facing thousands of dollars in bills, with no reason given why PHI refused to transport. Let this be a warning to all my fellow citizens in Cibola County about how you can be insurance poor. Government Officials like the ones we have in Cibola County always brag about how they are helping the people and make the news stories from arresting all the criminals who are turned loose right away with the new bail laws, or their cases are dropped because they violated the criminal's constitutional rights, or they don’t show up in court to prosecute them later.
A friend of ours of many years had to sue PHI for about $40K in bills, costing him money to hire an attorney and fight the charges in court. I hope I don’t have to do the same thing. I called PHI to complain they said they would look into it, and I have not heard back from them.
Signed Mr. Harry L. Hall USAF Veteran Retired Police/Sheriff Lt 38+ years