Guam’s CareJet Program Resumes Service

A news release that appeared on PNC has confirmed that Carejet Assist is resuming its air medical service in Guam and the Mariana Islands effective this month. The reinstatement of the subscriber-based air ambulance program appears to be related to a brand new agreement between Carejet and Calvo SelectCare.

Additionally, Carejet is expanding its range of air ambulance services to include medical escort for patients who are able to travel on regular commercial airliners when critical health care services are not a requirement.

CareJet had previously provided its lifesaving services in the Pacific from October 2007 to November 2011. The service was halted when not enough residents of the Marianas had signed up for coverage.

We covered the ceasing of CareJet’s services a bit back in November 2011, in a blog titled Are Subscriber-Based Air Ambulance Services Always Feasible.

Back then, a few possible reasons for the ending of a member-based air medical program were proposed, including the possibility of an air ambulance “insurance” plan, no matter how important and potentially lifesaving, being a difficult thing to “sell” to the average person. “What are the odds?”

Higher than you might think.

In the case of CareJet, the expansion of their services to include patients who are able to travel on regular passenger flights with professional medical escort can only serve to get more people interested in the program.

We do know that Calvo SelectCare was involved in CareJet Assist restarting its services in the Pacific region. In fact, according to a release, Carejet’s CEO and President credited Calvo SelectCare with “resurrecting” his company’s program. SelectCare members are eligible to receive a 50% discount on air medical services when an air ambulance is required.

Taken directly from the news release, he stated: “I have experienced the services provided by Calvo’s SelectCare and they seem to take whatever steps are necessary to provide access to life saving care for their clients. This has been especially evident when the medical condition of a patient required a specialist or medical procedure that was not available on Guam, and having access to an air ambulance may be a life saving event. In fact, a few lives were saved when the air ambulance was first available”.

He went on to say that “We get pleasure from working with Calvo’s SelectCare, as the company has continuously demonstrated the quality of services they provide and the extra efforts to make available meaningful benefits and services to their members”.

Carejet’s WestWind II is a twin-engine jet air ambulance capable of carrying emergency room flight nurses and medical doctors specializing in any areas appropriate to an individual patient’s specific medical requirements.

Aviation Concepts will provide such services for SelectCare members from Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Island and Palau, to Manila or Subic Bay in the Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, and Honolulu. Air medical transport services are also open to individuals, insurance companies, and assistance providers at the normal rates.

Subscription-based air ambulance services like CareJet are available in many parts of the world where lifesaving air ambulances are frequently needed to rapidly transport patients to advanced healthcare facilities.

Are you a subscriber to an air ambulance service like this one in your region? If not, would you consider subscribing to such a membership program if presented with the opportunity? What are the pros and cons (if any exist) of such services?

Let us know in the comments section below.

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