KSL INVESTIGATES

Utah couple gets hit with sky-high surprise air ambulance bill

Jun 21, 2022, 7:55 PM | Updated: 8:16 pm

HIGHLAND, Utah — It had been 18 months since Robert Ross had a stroke on vacation in Page, Arizona.

His wife, Lori, called for an ambulance, and Robert was taken to an area hospital. He didn’t stay there long.

“They observed him for half an hour,” said Lori, before the doctors decided Robert needed to be flown by air ambulance to a better-equipped hospital. “They tried to [fly] him to St. George, but because St. George was closed because of COVID and wouldn’t admit him, they [flew] him to Provo.”

Robert recovered. Then the bills came.

At first, the air ambulance bill for the ride from Page, Arizona, to Provo, Utah, cost $89,770.

The Ross’ insurance, Cigna, paid a portion. Lori appealed for more to be paid, but the air ambulance company continued to send bills — this time for $12,995.

While significantly cheaper than the initial bill, Lori told KSL Investigators she shouldn’t have had to pay anything — she had met her out-of-pocket max for 2020, and therefore her insurance should pay 100% of the bill.

Lori said Cigna seemed to agree with her, but she’d spent months trying to get them to pay the remaining balance.

“I have called them. They say, ‘Oh yes, this is a mistake, we need to send it back through,’” Lori explained. “Then I’ll call a month later, but it’s not being taken care of.”

For Lori, the solution seemed easy: “Just pay this bill and let me get on and quit worrying about it.”

KSL Investigators reached out to Cigna on Lori’s behalf through their media relations spokesperson. In an email statement, the spokesperson said the air ambulance was “not a Cigna-contracted provider,” but that her claim had finally been “corrected/reprocessed,” leaving her with “ZERO payment responsibility.”

Cigna’s spokesperson said the air ambulance company, Classic Lifeguard, “is the one that billed the customer.” Our emails to Classic Lifeguard requesting comment on the situation were not returned.

The Affordable Care Act made it federal law that emergency situations should be processed by insurance companies as in-network services.

Have you experienced something you think just isn’t right? The KSL Investigators want to help. Submit your tip at investigates@ksl.com or 385-707-6153 so we can get working for you.

KSL 5 TV Live

KSL Investigates

two men sit at a table and look at a phone...

Matt Gephardt

Imposters stealing Utah restaurant names to deceive drivers and customers on food delivery apps

When a popular Provo pizzeria couldn’t get a food delivery app to remove an impostor account, the owners decided to Get Gephardt to investigate.

41 minutes ago

Utah’s Supreme Court heard arguments in May 2023 in the first appellate challenge involving a 202...

Daniella Rivera

Utah Supreme Court upholds prior ruling in first challenge of 2021 self-defense law

Utah's Supreme Court sided with a man who fired several shots after a bizarre vehicle crash in the first challenge of Utah's 2021 self-defense law.

8 hours ago

Jen and Tyler Erickson show KSL’s Matt Gephardt sewer water...

Matt Gephardt and Cimaron Neugebauer, KSL TV

Raw sewage floods basements, but who’s responsible for the damages?

A Farmington couple says their home got flooded with raw sewage after a nearby water park drained a pool into the sewer system. Now, they're stuck in a fight over who's -responsible for tens-of-thousands of dollars in damages, so they decided to Get Gephardt.

4 days ago

Joshua Homer appears in court in Weber County on Oct. 18, 2022....

Daniella Rivera and Keira Fairmont, KSL-TV

Rapist at the center of KSL Investigation ‘Failure to Protect’ pleads guilty

Guilty: An accused serial predator in Utah, who’s had more than a decade of allegations against him is now a convicted rapist following a KSL Investigation.

4 days ago

a blue truck with identified with letters "elan solar"...

Matt Gephardt and Sloan Schrage, KSL TV

Utah based Elan Solar sued by state regulators

Lawsuit filed by the Utah Division of Consumer Protection against Utah based Elan Solar

5 days ago

paper work showing charges...

Matt Gephardt and Sloan Schrage

Thieves fraudulently billing Medicare for catheters on behalf of Utahns

Medicare paid out thousands of dollars for a medical device on behalf of a Utahn that never ordered it, let alone received it.

6 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Modern chandelier hanging from a white slanted ceiling with windows in the backgruond...

Lighting Design

Light Up Your Home With These Top Lighting Trends for 2024

Check out the latest lighting design trends for 2024 and tips on how you can incorporate them into your home.

Technician woman fixing hardware of desktop computer. Close up....

PC Laptops

Tips for Hassle-Free Computer Repairs

Experiencing a glitch in your computer can be frustrating, but with these tips you can have your computer repaired without the stress.

Close up of finger on keyboard button with number 11 logo...

PC Laptops

7 Reasons Why You Should Upgrade Your Laptop to Windows 11

Explore the benefits of upgrading to Windows 11 for a smoother, more secure, and feature-packed computing experience.

Stylish room interior with beautiful Christmas tree and decorative fireplace...

Lighting Design

Create a Festive Home with Our Easy-to-Follow Holiday Prep Guide

Get ready for festive celebrations! Discover expert tips to prepare your home for the holidays, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for unforgettable moments.

Battery low message on mobile device screen. Internet and technology concept...

PC Laptops

9 Tips to Get More Power Out of Your Laptop Battery

Get more power out of your laptop battery and help it last longer by implementing some of these tips from our guide.

Users display warnings about the use of artificial intelligence (AI), access to malicious software ...

Les Olson

How to Stay Safe from Cybersecurity Threats

Read our tips for reading for how to respond to rising cybersecurity threats in 2023 and beyond to keep yourself and your company safe.

Utah couple gets hit with sky-high surprise air ambulance bill