Medical Evac Flights

Our sister company, Evac Americas, offers memberships for air medical transport service within Panama. Since the majority of Panamanians are not able to afford charter flights, Evac Americas offers individual memberships starting at $26 per year. Tourists are $10 for 90 days coverage. The service only uses airplanes provided by SkyMaxx and is for pre-stabilized patients. It is not a first response or emergency ambulance service.

There are no other membership type provider in Panama.

We highly suggest that anyone traveling out of Panama City into the Interior regions, become a member. You can purchase memberships at any Airbox Express Aerocasillas office in Panama.

Local and International Medical Charter Flights

We can do airplane evac flights within Panama and can arrange for international repatriation flights as well. Cost for a flight from David or Bocas del Toro is approximately $4500 including a flight paramedic. Minimum charge is $1250 plus any local ambulance charges. International flights are usually chartered out of Miami and begin at $15,000. Specialized care situations can make that cost jump significantly.

Some important points to consider are:

• Many airports like Bocas del Toro close at sundown, thereby precluding late afternoon flights
• The latest a plane can leave Albrook in order to pick up a patient in Bocas or David is 4:30 p.m. 
• It takes 20 minutes to install the patient care system so we need to know about a possible flight before 4:00 p.m.
• Insurance may or may not cover a flight. You will be responsible for submitting the bill to your own insurance company for reimbursement. Some credit cards provide limited coverage as well.
• Flight time is approximately one hour and twenty minutes each way from David and Bocas.
• Travel insurance policies usually have air evacuation coverage though some are for repatriation only.
• Most policies and coverage will require some proof of medical need for air evacuation. Please familiarize yourself with your policy’s requirements and limitations.
• Flights will have a paramedic on board as required by the charter operator.

Most important of all is knowing that while Panama City has an excellent medical facilities and staff, the further you travel outside the city, that capability drops off quite dramatically. You will find many people willing to help and the small clinics will normally do their best. However, funding is a major issue so most seriously injured patients are transferred to Panama City.

Please call Hunter Schultz on +507-6633-1156 for medical flights.

(In Spanish, Rosario Barrios on +507-6679-1192)