The change was a financial decision, Cunningham said.
Colorado-based Air Methods, which contracted with Cox to supply the helicopter, pilot, mechanic and billing services, recently told Cox officials that it was not meeting financial goals.
Seventy percent of patients served in the Branson area paid by Medicaid or Medicare or were self-pay because they had no insurance, Cunningham said.
When Cox and Air Methods looked at the financial situation, the enterprise was headed for a projected total annual loss of about $1.4 million, said Tyler Hedden, Cox vice president of clinical services. Cox would have lost an estimated $700,000 annually.
Cox Health will no longer provide vital air support to Branson Area
Saving the lives of Branson residents was just too expensive. According to the article, keeping a helicopter at the Taney County Airport wasn't profitable:
