CareFlite offers Memberships to EGWS Customers

East Garrett Water Supply
Public Notice to All Water Customers
October 15, 2020

East Garrett Water Supply and CareFlite have signed an agreement to allow all customers of East Garret Water Supply to become members of CareFlite for $1 per month. This includes all members of each household. The contract with CareFlite was approved by the Board on September 17, 2020 and will be effective December 1, 2020.

CareFlite, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit company, brings a very high quality ground and air ambulance service to the citizens of Ellis County. It is the oldest joint-use air medical program in the United States and is now providing its 41 year of service to North Texas. In that time, CareFlite has transported 1.3 million patients by air and ground ambulance
(as of 09/01/2020). More information is available at www.careflite.org. In all mergencies, dial 911.

As part of the agreement with CareFlite, East Garrett Water Supply will add $1.00 to each monthly water bill to provide a Caring-Heart Membership for each household. The Caring-Heart Membership protects your entire household against the out of pocket expenses of a CareFlite ground or air ambulance transport. If you have insurance, you will not receive a balance bill. If you have no insurance, you will automatically receive a 50% discount from CareFlite. Complete details and program rules are available at www.careflite.org. East Garrett Water Supply will provide CareFlite with a list of participating households monthly once the program starts on December 1, 2020.
Failure to pay your water bill will terminate your CareFlite membership. Anyone who lives in the East Garrett Water Supply service area but does not receive a water bill can also participate in this program by obtaining and completing a special CareFlite membership application available at East Garrett Water Supply and paying the $12 annual cost when submitting the application directly to CareFlite.

While we strongly encourage everyone to protect their family with this program, anyone who does not wish to be included in the program may opt out at any time. In order to opt out of the program, please go by the East Garrett Water Supply office and complete a short form that states coverage is not desired. If you want out initially, please complete the opt out form by November 30, 2020.

If you have any questions about this agreement, please contact East Garret Water Supply (469) 383-6362.

For questions about CareFlite and this program, please call the Caring-Heart Member Services Office (877) 339-2273 during business hours.

CareFlite: America’s Oldest Joint Use Air
Medical Service, America’s Youngest EMS
Helicopter Fleet

Caring – Heart Membership Program
Call (877) 339-2273 (Mon-Fri 8 ‘til 5)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1) What is a Caring Heart Membership? Am I required to fill out an application?

The membership protects you and your household against out of pocket expenses if you have insurance. The typical payment from insurance is 45 to 50 % leaving the rest to be paid by the patient. If you are a member with insurance which covers ambulance transports, you don’t get balanced billed for that amount. If the patient has no such insurance, then the membership automatically entitles the member to a 50% discount from CareFlite’s standard charges. If the claim is covered by other types such as work comp or motor vehicle insurance, you will not be liable for the balance. You are not required to fill out an application. However, we encourage you to call (877) 339-2273 after December 1, 2020 if you wish to list the members of your household.

2) Who is covered? What is our definition of a family? How about kids in college?

Everyone who is related and lives in the household. Kids in college are covered if they are dependent on the parents to pay their college costs and if they maintain the household as their primarily residence. (IE tax return shows home address or they vote at the polling place where the household is located.)

3) Children of divorced parents? How about parents or in-laws?

If you have any level of custody of the child or children, they are covered regardless of their location within CareFlite’s service area.  If your parents or in laws live with you full time, they are covered. Everyone in the household is covered regardless of their location
within CareFlite’s service area.

4) What is the cost? How can you offer the membership at such a low cost?

Membership costs $1 per month per household if paid through your water bill. CareFlite is a 501(c)3 non-profit so it doesn’t have the same expenses and financial issues as a for profit company. Second, the membership program, which by state regulation is an
EMS membership program and not insurance, does operate financially like an insurance program in that the risk is spread over the entire membership group which will exceed 370,000 people when this program goes into effect.

5) What is CareFlite’s coverage area?

CareFlite Helicopter Service - Map was mailed out to all customers
Fixed Wing Air Ambulance Service - Map was mailed out to all customers

6) CareFlite membership helicopter and fixed wing coverage areas are shown above. Ground Ambulance and/or 911 EMS service is covered and currently offered in portions of the following counties: Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Erath, Henderson, Hill, Hood,
Johnson, Kaufman, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant and Van Zandt. No service offered to/from Mexico.

More information is available at www.careflite.org or (972) 339-4220. In all emergencies, dial 911.