Allied Plus Membership Helps Cover Emergency Care
By Bernie Nguyen

The average ambulance run on Mackinac Island costs approximately $600, and even the best medical insurance may not cover the entire fee.

Allied EMS, the ambulance company that serves Mackinac Island, offers a payment program called Allied Plus to offset the cost. Allied Plus, though not insurance, covers out-of-pocket emergency expenses for its members. This means that after insurance is billed, the remainder of the ambulance fee will be covered by the Allied Plus membership, explained Dave Slifka, director of Allied EMS.

Membership in Allied Plus is not restricted to permanent residents, and thus is ideal for summer employees living on Mackinac Island who may not have insurance coverage. People on medical assistance, such as those on Medicaid, are not eligible for Allied Plus, but nearly all others are.

Membership in Allied Plus allows coverage in any area where Allied EMS operates, even if a member is not a resident of that area. For example, Mr. Slifka said, residents of Mackinac Island who are members of Allied Plus would also be covered if they were to have a medical emergency in St. Ignace, where Allied EMS is the contracted ambulance service.

The company also operates in Antrim County and Emmet counties and in parts of Charlevoix County and Rogers City.

Allied Plus also offers an program exclusively for businesses on the Island. Temporary employees, such as college students, who may often be between insurance plans, and foreign workers, who may not have coverage at all, would be covered under this plan.

For those who think that they may never need an ambulance, Mr. Slifka says, "Statistically, everyone at least once will need an ambulance."

He noted that the Allied Plus membership fees help reduce the subsidy the City of Mackinac Island pays to support the ambulance program.

Membership on Mackinac Island is sparse, despite Allied Plus's growth over the last several years. Only four new members have joined the program from Mackinac Island this summer, leading Allied EMS to send out more information.

"I would hope that people look at it and take advantage of the program," he said, emphasizing that membership benefits the community and the individual.

Benefits of Allied Plus membership include no out-of-pocket expenses for emergency medical services, including ambulance transport to the nearest medical facilities with or without medical insurance coverage and basic and advanced life support services from Allied EMS ambulances.

Membership in Allied Plus costs $55 for a single, new member and $65 for a new family or couple. Renewals cost $50 for single members and $60 for families and couples. Membership for non-dependents living in the same residence costs an additional $5. For Mackinac Island businesses only, membership is $60, and covers up to 10 employees. Additional employee coverage is $5 each.

The deadline for membership is August 1.