Lakes Region EMS Inc

On 4-30-I drove my husband to Fairview Lakes Medical Center, he was having stomach painThis facility is our in BCBS network as a providerOnce their it was determined he would need to be transferredThey asked me where I would like him to go and I wanted him sent to another in network provider which was the U of M in MplsNever once did they inform me that an out of network ambulance may arrive to transfer himHad we been told this we would have requested an in network ambulanceHe was transferred to U of M without the siren and the driver took the longer way around as there was road construction going on that dayWe were sent a bill for a total of $4530.43, our insurance paid only $of thisWhen you are in an emergency room with a loved one you are already shook up and worried and then to have to THINK of asking them if this ambulance coming is in your insurance network is insaneI believe most people assume an in network hospital uses an in network ambulanceWhen I contacted my insurance company a representative informed me that when a call is put out for the ambulance whoever gets their first gets the runFairview had all of my insurance information that dayCould they not have went that one step further to call an in network ambulance? Or even asked us if it was an issue? He needed to be transferred but this was obviously not so bad he couldn't have waited the extra few minutes till another arrivedWe have exhausted our appeals with BCBS and Lakes Region simply ignored our letterMy advice to others is to remember, even in a time like this, that you need to askFairview Lakes staff and the EMTs gave him wonderful care that day but what happened with the ambulance call itself is awfulIt's all about the buck