“The flight was unnecessary”

Helicopter transport denied: Woman still required to pay

Symbolic image(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

The Ombudsman’s Office has leveled serious criticism at the Salzburg Red Cross: A woman from Lower Austria was flown to the hospital by helicopter this winter following a skiing accident—even though, according to a doctor, this was apparently unnecessary and the injured woman had actually refused the operation...

Background: At the end of January, Kathrin E., a resident of Lower Austria, was skiing on the slopes in the Dachstein-West ski area. An unknown man collided with her, and she broke her collarbone. The man fled the scene and has not been found to this day. According to the Ombudsman’s Office, the injured woman thought to herself during initial treatment: “A helicopter rescue without private insurance—that could get expensive.” A snowmobile transported the woman from Lower Austria down to the valley. There, a doctor examined her and, according to the Ombudsman’s Office, determined: The woman is fit for transport without any issues.

A Red Cross employee then apparently stated that due to staff shortages and “time constraints,” transport by car was not possible, so a helicopter would be sent after all. Kathrin E. protested—but according to the Ombudsman’s Office, she was told: There would be no cost for the helicopter if she were picked up from the valley station.

Woman was told to pay 8,027.77 euros
Nevertheless, a hefty bill arrived at the woman’s home shortly thereafter. The Salzburg Red Cross billed the 39-year-old a staggering 8,027.77 euros for the helicopter mission. Ombudsman Bernhard Achitz: “This is completely unreasonable. From a medical standpoint, the flight was unnecessary—everyone agreed on that. Kathrin E. refused it several times and was only willing to board the helicopter after being assured she wouldn’t have to pay anything.”

Problematic dual role of the Red Cross?
Only after the Ombudsman’s Office and the Lower Austrian Chamber of Labor intervened did the Red Cross back down. However, Achitz fundamentally criticizes the “problematic dual role of the Red Cross in Salzburg: It is not only responsible for carrying out helicopter rescues. The state has also made the Red Cross a ‘control center’ for coordinating rescue and patient transport. One might suspect that, as a control center, the Red Cross likes to dispatch the Red Cross helicopter to ensure capacity utilization and revenue.”