American Airlines Passenger Shocked by Unexpected Medical Fee
American Airlines Passenger Shocked by Unexpected Medical Fee - Woman Receives $200 Medical Kit Fee After Calling for Help
A recent incident has highlighted the controversial practice of airlines charging passengers for medical help during flights. Lindsey McFarren was traveling from Florida to Philadelphia on American Airlines when she felt faint and called for a flight attendant. The crew provided her with oxygen and an EMT kit to check her vitals. Though the medical issue subsided, McFarren was shocked to later receive a $200 invoice for the EMT kit along with a $150 service charge.
McFarren's story has brought attention to airline policies that allow carriers to charge passengers for medical kits, oxygen, and other aids provided during inflight emergencies. These fees are typically not covered by travel insurance. While policies vary between airlines, most reserve the right to bill passengers if a medical professional is consulted or supplies are used.
Advocates argue that charging distressed passengers for critical medical care raises serious ethical concerns. In a confined space like an airplane, denying aid based on ability to pay could be dangerous. Others believe airlines should absorb these costs instead of profiting off vulnerable customers. However, carriers contend they have a right to recoup expenses for items that must be restocked or replaced after use.
Regardless of who's right, flyers are often unaware of these potential fees. Doctor Christian Martin-Gill, who has studied in-flight medical emergencies, notes that panic and disorientation during health crises leave passengers unprepared to consider costs. Confusion over policies also means customers don't know what to push back against.
While advocating for revised airline policies, experts urge travelers to be proactive. Before flying, know your airline's rules around inflight medical care. Have appropriate travel insurance, read the fine print, and confirm what's covered. If faced with a surprise bill, don't be afraid to negotiate or appeal the fees. Remaining calm and seeking clarification can prevent being overcharged.
What else is in this post?
- American Airlines Passenger Shocked by Unexpected Medical Fee - Woman Receives $200 Medical Kit Fee After Calling for Help
- American Airlines Passenger Shocked by Unexpected Medical Fee - Airline Policies Allow Charging Passengers for Onboard Medical Care
- American Airlines Passenger Shocked by Unexpected Medical Fee - Travel Insurance Often Doesn't Cover Airline Medical Fees
- American Airlines Passenger Shocked by Unexpected Medical Fee - Airlines Want to Recoup Costs But At What Expense to Safety?
American Airlines Passenger Shocked by Unexpected Medical Fee - Airline Policies Allow Charging Passengers for Onboard Medical Care
Most domestic carriers such as American, Delta, and United have policies granting them the right to recoup costs for any medical supplies, equipment, or professional assistance provided during flights. While airlines frame this as recovering expenditures, the language essentially permits charging ill customers receiving critical care. This raises troubling ethical dilemmas that several advocates have called attention to.
For starters, the confined spaces of planes mean health crises can rapidly escalate without prompt treatment. Yet tying treatment to payment introduces delays as sick travelers or their loved ones scramble to understand dense legal policies while in crisis. As veteran neurologist Dr. Ellen Townsend explains, “time is of the essence in many medical situations, and financial discussions should not interfere with stabilizing patients.” Once stabilized, cost negotiations can proceed more fairly with all parties in settled frames of mind.
Perhaps most disturbingly, guidelines leave open potential scenarios where individuals are effectively denied care altogether due to inability to pay. Major disabled rights organizations point out that refusing any medical assistance solely due to predicted costs discriminates against conditions like epilepsy where seizures cannot be anticipated. All human beings deserve basic welfare in emergencies regardless of financial status. No person should have to choose between health and bankruptcy so airlines see a profit.
American Airlines Passenger Shocked by Unexpected Medical Fee - Travel Insurance Often Doesn't Cover Airline Medical Fees
While travel insurance provides peace of mind, many policies disappointingly exclude expensive medical charges incurred aboard aircraft. Passengers regularly find themselves stunned with invoices far exceeding policy limits after seeking basic assistance for unpredictable in-flight emergencies. As one frequent flyer ruefully recounted, “I’ve had several seizures on planes over the years and my usual insurance didn’t shield me from costs even once. It leaves you scrambling while unwell.”
Indeed, many cheap or standard insurance packages specifically bar medical bills stemming from air travel’s unique conditions. Carriers argue aircraft-related injuries differ significantly from roadside illnesses covered elsewhere; however, customers see no reasonable distinction when their safety relies upon the same providers and equipment. One patient faced over $12,000 billed after collapsing aboard a late night red-eye—a massive fee her insurance deemed “not travel-related” despite occurring mid-journey.
Certainly premium plans carrying higher rates do usually close this airplane exclusion loophole. But not all budgets permit such luxuries, and false assumptions leave flyers vulnerable. With medical bankruptcies impacting hundreds of thousands each year in America alone, even moderate charges pose risks for households lacking robust policies. Advocates appropriately demand reevaluating definitions of “travel” that exclude routine modes of transit simply because wings are involved. When misfortune strikes anywhere en route to planned excursions, core coverage should reasonably apply.
American Airlines Passenger Shocked by Unexpected Medical Fee - Airlines Want to Recoup Costs But At What Expense to Safety?
Airlines undoubtedly wish to promptly recover medical costs whenever services are utilized onboard a flight. However, an inherent tension arises from directly charging passengers during the volatility of health emergencies, potentially conflicting with crew duties to ensure safety above earnings.
While recoupment protects the bottom line, policies passing fees to the infirm disrupt standard practices of stabilizing patients before settling bills. This introduces unpredictable variability into treatment, jeopardizing established protocols revolving solely around well-being. With paid medical staff unavailable, flight attendants and good Samaritans shoulder initial response yet receive no specialized coaching on navigating financial complexities amid care provisioning.
Examining past incident reports illuminates dilemmas. In one example, confusion over coverage for an anaphylactic reaction wasted ten minutes assigning responsibility between airline, travel insurance, and sufferer rather than immediately administering epinephrine. Medical research overwhelmingly demonstrates superior outcomes arise from minimizing financial discussions until after leaving acute phases. Yet ambiguity empowers airlines to involuntarily collect from anyone mobilizing life-saving on-call services, whether or not recovery ultimately transpires.