County presented one-year Air Methods emergency-transport agreement and performance report

Union County commissioners were presented with a proposed one-year agreement with Air Methods for emergency air medical transport services running from June 1, 2026, through May 31, 2027, with a not-to-exceed amount of $61,580 and the county bearing one half of that cost while Union General Hospital would cover the other half. Commissioner Harold Collins introduced the contract during the meeting and invited the company's representative to summarize performance and billing.

Marcus Lindsey, who identified himself as an Air Methods representative, said the service maintains a base at Union General Hospital and highlighted recent use under the current contract. "From June 1 through April 1, our team has transported 134 of Union County's residents for emergency specialized care at no cost to any one of those citizens or their families," Lindsey said. He added the company invoices the county quarterly only for patients who have an out-of-pocket cost and that the county has been billed $32,909 so far for three of the four billing cycles. The provider said it negotiates a cap of $800 per transport and bills at or below that cap depending on patient liability.

Lindsey answered commissioners' technical questions about neonatal transports: if an infant remains in the birth hospital and has not been discharged, state rules require a licensed neonatal/NICU transport; but if a child has been discharged and later returns to a hospital, Air Methods crews said they are trained and qualified to handle that transfer. Lindsey also noted that county-sponsored coverage applies to Union County residents even if they are transported by the company's crews while outside the county.

No formal vote or motion text was recorded on the transcript excerpt; the agreement was presented and discussed. The commission's transcript indicates the contract terms, transport cap, and recent billing figures were the principal items debated and clarified.