There are different types of medical transportation available to every kind of patient. These medical transports include Braun ambulances, custom made wheelchairs, antique ambulances etc.  The kind of medical transportation that is used is dependent on whether it is for an emergency or for a non-emergency situation as well as whether the service would be required for long distance national, local or international transportation. The type of medical transportation to be used is also dependent on what condition the patient is in or what kind of disability the patient has.

Emergency Medical Transportation

Local ambulances offer transport services of patients to nearby hospitals during a life threatening medical emergency or when patients are experiencing psychological and psychiatric problems. Generally, paramedics and emergency medical specialists who are experts in several life saving situations are always on board the ambulance and stay with the patient all throughout the transport. These professionals often provide life saving care to their patients while in transit to a medical facility. For situations where patients would have to be transported to a hospital that is several miles away and would require a speedy mode of medical transportation, then the patient would most probably be transported using an air ambulance. A helicopter is used to quickly transport patients to a hospital several states away or even to another country for treatment. Without these emergency medical vehicles many people would die before they could receive proper medical care. Making use of emergency medical transport can come with a hefty price tag,  but for the most part medical insurance will help cover any medical transportation fees to and from medical facilities.

Non Emergency Medical Transportation

On the other hand, the use of non emergency medical transportation is determined by the patient’s current medical disability or condition. For instances when patients are sick but not exactly ambulatory and the situation is non-emergency, then a wheelchair would be the best option to transport a patient from one part of the hospital to another. Medical transportation vans are also used to transport non emergency patients from one medical facility to another. Stretchers or gurneys are another example of non-emergency medical transportation; although the last two may also be used during emergency situations. For some cases, community funded mental health facilities that have a large number of patients either lease or actually own vans used to transport patients as well as medical supplies. This helps them to keep down costs while providing a critical service to the community. These vehicles are used primarily for patients who cannot afford to purchase their own vehicle and does not have any access to a community bus service. They could also be to weak to travel by any other means. These community funded vans and transports also serve the elderly who for age as well as physical reasons are no longer able to drive themselves to the mental health facility. These vans are also helpful in terms of transporting mental health patients to medical appointments or checkups located outside the state or the city where the mental health is located. This way, patients can get all the kinds of medical attention that they need.

Mobility Equipment

Many people rely on their mobility equipment daily to get from point A to B. Mobility equipment can be anything from a walker or wheelchair up to a mobility scooter. This type of equipment serves to make a patient’s life more comfortable, through providing them with improved mobility in and around the house.  Medical scooters can even be used to go shopping or for an excursion to the park. Elevators and stair lifts can also be seen as means of transportation as they make it possible for people to move up and down stairs without hassle. These are just a few examples of mobility equipment as there is a massive amount of them available on the market today.

In some cases, using privately operated medical transport services may not be covered by some HMO providers or private medical care insurance policies. Private medical transport services often charge the patient separately. However, in some case, insurance policies cover part of the private medical transport fees in the event that they are deemed necessary. This means that private medical transportation to doctor’s offices for consultation will not be covered by insurance companies, while an ambulance service to a hospital can be covered. It would be wise to check your insurance before you need to rely on emergency medical transportation, neglecting to do so could see you having to pay a lot of money for this service.