Tammy Wages from AirMedCare Network spoke to the Rotary Club of Picayune Tuesday afternoon.

Wages, a membership sales manager, presented attendees with information about the emergent membership program, which helps citizens cover the cost of air medical transportation if they happen to find themselves in a situation where they require those services.

One example entailed a family who had to use air medical transportation and later received a bill for $56,000. She said if that family had an emergent membership, they wouldn’t have had to pay any money out-of-pocket because the cost of using air transportation was covered by their membership fee.

“We offer various membership plans and everyone in your household, whether they are related to you or not, is covered,” Wages said.

A one-year membership costs $65, three-year membership is $185, five-year membership is $300, 10-year membership is $575 and a 25-year membership is $1125.

“I have a son and a daughter who no longer live in the same house that I do but because of this plan, I know that if the need for this service comes up, they are covered under my membership plan and I will not have to worry about a medical bill later on,” Wages said.

Membership covers the cost of air transportation from the scene of the accident to the closest medical facility and if the person needs to be transported to another hospital.

There are four bases located around Pearl River County where a crew of pilots, flight nurses and flight paramedics are ready to help citizens during an emergency. Those bases are located in New Orleans, Gulfport, Hattiesburg and McComb.

“Most of our crew are either retired military pilots or former pilots by major airlines, so they have had extensive flying experience,” Wages said. “We have a total of 332 bases in 38 states and we are ready to provide emergency care at any given time.”

Wages said over four million people across the country have an emergent membership and as soon as a person calls 911, the flight crew is given the coordinates to the accident, where they will respond as soon as possible and provide the necessary medical care.

“From the moment we pick you up, to the moment we land at the nearest medical facility, everything is covered under the membership,” Wages said.

To learn about the emergent membership, contact Wages at (228) 363-9635 or tammy.wages@airmedcarenetwork.com or visit airmedcarenetwork.com/msm/tammy-wages.