Key West The Newspaper

by Larry Murray…….

Editor:

Recent reports suggest that the Sheriff’s Department Trauma Star medical evacuation program should break even this year and be in the black in 2017. That indeed is good news.

Given those reports, I contacted the Sheriff’s Department regarding Trauma Star costs. Finance Director Mike Rice provided me with the following data. A medical evacuation from Lower Keys Medical Center to Ryder Trauma Center in Miami costs $24,471. Costs from Fishermen’s Hospital and Mariners Hospital to Ryder Trauma Center are $21,353 and $17,840 respectively.

What I found most interesting about those numbers are reports that LifeNet charges between $45,000 and $65,000 for a medical evacuation from Lower Keys Medical Center to Ryder Trauma Center. Obviously, that is a very substantial difference in the neighborhood of double or more. Makes you wonder how LifeNet determines its cost structure and further encourages taxpayers to use Trauma Star whenever possible.