tv Nightline ABC March 17, 2016 12:37am-1:07am EDT
12:37 am
this is "nightline." >> tonight, emergency rescues from air ambulances. they may have saved your life. but leave you with sky-high bills. with an industry free to set any price, some patients facing hefty debts, even lawsuits, after they've recovered. >> why don't you put the price here? >> our brian ross investigates. >> i can get back with you on that. >> you don't know the answer? >> no, i don't. plus "batman versus superman." why are the good guys going after each other? behind the scenes as ben affleck and henry cavill face off as the
12:38 am
all-time. but first the "nightline" 5. >> get your penny's worth with new suits and kids' dressup. up to half off colorful dresses and tres shoes for him and her. get $10 off a $25 purchase with coupon. that's getting your penny's worth. how much protein does your dog food have? 18%? 20%? purina one with real venison has 30% protein. support your active dog's whole body health with purina one. >> number one in just 60 seconds. live outdoors as as indoors. need to find the right fit for your personal style
12:39 am
sunroom or lanai. choose a look and accessorize with rugs, lamps, pillows and more to bring your outdoor vision to life. spring into savings with an extra one hundred dollars off every thousand you spend. plus, enjoy twenty-four month, no interest financing. havertys. good evening. thank you for joining us. millions of americans are rushed to the hospital every year.
12:40 am
emergency helicopter. many times it's a life or death flight where every second counts. but the service often comes with a sky-high price tag. tonight abc's chief investigative correspondent brian ross examines the big business of air ambulances. >> you're talking about very critically injured patients. traumas, strokes, heart attacks. >> reporter: emergency workers call it the golden hour. the crucial 60 minutes to get medical care for a patient facing death. >> failure to get them to the care probably means they aren't going to survive. >> reporter: that urgent need to beat the golden hour clock that is spawned a nationwide fleet of helicopter ambulances, saving countless lives. but our "nightline" investigation conduct the with abc stations across the country also found it has left many of the very people it saved facing financial turmoil with bills as
12:41 am
short flight. >> would you call this price gouging? >> some of it is. there's no question that some of it is. >> reporter: behind those heart-warming stories of lives saved is a hard-edged air ambulance industry free to set any price it want. >> takes advantage of people at a very vulnerable moment. >> reporter: loren larson, a helicopter pilot himself, says he was stunned at the cost of the quick flight for his daughter after she was injured in a serious offroad atv accident. $47,000 for 79 miles. after insurance and a failed negotiation, he still owes $36,000. cripple us financially. >> reporter: he is not alone. we found hundreds of families. >> i'm worried to death about it. about it. >> reporter: being sued. >> i don't have the money to give them. so my wife and my son and myself don't wind up being homeless. >> reporter: hounded by debt
12:42 am
>> i look, i see the number, i say, i know who it is, i don't want to talk. >> reporter: human bills their insurance won't cover. >> i feel i can never dig out. >> reporter: some forced into bankruptcy. one after another patients told us how they felt they had been taken for a ride in more ways than one. >> i wasn't asked if i wanted to go on the helicopter. i didn't think it would hurt that bad. >> reporter: 91-year-old warren lowe and his wife ethel were on their way to church in virginia when an uninsured driver slammed into them. >> what's your emergency? >> car wreck on 89. several people hurt. >> reporter: lowe's leg was shattered and doctors at his local hospital wanted him sent to a trauma center 55 miles away. >> didn't nobody tell me nothing. they just took me, put me in the helicopter, and gone. >> reporter: the cost, $47,000 for a 20-minute helicopter ride. >> i couldn't believe it when we looked at it.
12:43 am
that's ridiculous. >> reporter: lowe's bill came from air methods, the biggest of the for-profit helicopter ambulance companies with more than 370 helicopters operating in 48 states. the publicly traded air methods posted profits last year of more than $100 million. even as insurance companies complained their bills were excessive. its ceo, aaron todd, earned almost $500 million last year. >> aircraft hike this serves about a 150-mile radius. >> reporter: but he sent someone else to answer our questions at one of their bases in rural illinois. >> we serve 82 million rural americans across the country who would not have access to trauma care within the critical hour, what's called the golden hour. >> reporter: air methods vice president paul webster said the company is willing to lower its bill for those who can prove financial hardship. he says the real problem that is many insurance companies and medicare and medicaid won't cover the full cost of
12:44 am
>> if everybody paid their fair share, you know what the charge for this service would be? $12,000. that's the reality. >> you're shifting the cost to people who have insurance, and when their insurance doesn't pay, you go after them in court? >> the other choice is -- >> you put them into bankruptcy? >> the other choice is this service and this access goes away. >> reporter: no, it's not, say the people who run a nonprofit air ambulance service, set up by five hospitals in the dallas area. care flight. >> so we're going to methodist, this brown building here -- >> reporter: the company with its own fleet of state-of-the-art aircraft -- >> this is an $8 million aircraft. >> reporter: charges substantially less and does not use debt collectors to go after its patients. >> how could you be absolutely committed to saving that person's life and then turn around and sue them? because they can't pay a bill? >> the ceo of care flight, jim schwartz, says air methods has developed a reputation as an
12:45 am
trying to please its wall street investors. >> no one should be surprised a for-profit company acts like a for-profit company. you raise the price as high as you can, as fast as you can. and you try to collect as much as you can and use whatever tactics you have to. >> reporter: jean medina got a $35,000 bill from air methods after her teenage daughter, sofia, on a family vacation, developed complications from a tonsillectomy. >> the surgery itself was $16,000. the helicopter was $35,000. it seems a crazy amount of money. >> reporter: after insurance and a protracted back and forth, she still owes $17,000. and medina questions whether her daughter's 37-mile medevac trip was necessary. it took almost an hour for the helicopter just to arrive and load, and she was able to drive amount of time. >> i left a few minutes before they took off and ended up arriving at the hospital about five minutes after they did. >> reporter: air methods said
12:46 am
care that a ground ambulance could not. >> the same thing could not have been accomplished on the ground. because of the level of care that she receives inside the helicopter. >> reporter: according to the flight logs for medina's daughter, no extraordinary treatments were necessary. >> if the patient really isn't time sensitive, we can take them by ground and we're a nonprofit, therefore we're not going to try to figure out the most expensive way to do it. >> reporter: the decision to call in a helicopter ambulance is made by attending doctors. but the families, like the larsons of kentucky, are the ones on the hook for the cost. warren larson says he was being treated himself, given morphine, when he signed this air methods consent form for his daughter's medevac trip which in small print made him personally and fully responsible for the bill. >> they said, don't worry about it, it's just a standard form, just give us permission to transport your daughter. >> reporter: nowhere on the standard form does it inform the patient or guardian of the expected cost.
12:47 am
here? >> i can get back with you on that. >> you're the vice president in charge of this. this is your standard form. why don't you put the price here so people know what they're signing on for? >> sure, it's a question that i can ask. >> you don't know the answer? >> no, i don't. >> never been raised before? >> no, it has not. >> reporter: state insurance regulators say they have been unable to rein in the prices or tactics air methods and other helicopter ambulance services because of a loophole in the federal law. al redner is the insurance commissioner in maryland. >> when the federal government deregulated the airlines industry, these commercial helicopter companies were part of that. >> as if they're major air carriers? >> that's right. >> you can't regulate them because of faa rules? >> that's right. >> they can get away with these charges, charge whatever they want? >> they can, they can. >> reporter: of course, many of the air methods customers praise the service provided by the company, including kim downs
12:48 am
life-threatening injuries in an auto accident in illinois. >> but i was told they initially thought she was dead. yeah. that it was extreme. >> reporter: and recently showed up to thank the flight crew. >> she wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for them. they're angel in the sky. truly. >> reporter: the bill was $55,000. but her insurance covered it all. and she never had to face the air methods tactics that so many others say they have had to suffer through. >> they're asking for help. they're not asking for threatening their life savings or anything else. they're not asking for a lawsuit. their life. >> reporter: for "nightline," this is brian ross, abc news, new york. >> join the conversation on our "nightline" facebook page. next, it's a showdown in the most epic superhero battle of all-time. ben affleck's batman versus henry cavill's superman. we're behind the scenes with the superstar cast.
12:49 am
what body aches? what knee pain? what sore elbow? what joint pain? advil liqui-gels are so fast, they make pain a distant memory nothing works faster stronger or longer than advil liqui-gels the world's #1 choice what pain? advil. you have cancer start with a specialist. team of experts who treat only cancer. every stage. every day. cancer care is here. learn more at cancercenter.com/experts.
12:50 am
[woodworker] i live in the fine details. that's why i run on quickbooks. i use the payments app to accept credit cards... ...and everything autosyncs. those sales prove my sustainable designs are better for the environment and my bottom line. that's how i own it. (vo) what's your dog food's first ingredient? corn? wheat? in purina one true instinct grain free, real chicken is always #1. no corn, wheat or soy. support your active dog's whole body health with purina one. if your family outing is magical you may be muddling for powerful is different than claritin . because it starts working faster on the first day you take it. muddle no more
12:52 am
the e-class has 11 intelligent driver-assist systems. it recognizes pedestrians and alerts you. warns you about incoming cross-traffic. cameras and radar detect dangers you don't. and it can even stop by itself. so in this crash test, one thing's missing: a crash. the 2016 e-class. now receive up to a $3,000 spring bonus
12:53 am
they are the good guys of the comic book world. for the first time ever, clark kent and bruce wayne are suiting up for the big screen together, facing on of in an epic battle that might become an epic partnership. chris connelly goes behind the scenes with ben affleck and henry cavill in "batman vs. superman: dawn the justice." >> reporter: he may be the new man in the bat suit. with major bat boots to fill.
12:54 am
drawn to the departments of the dark knight. >> batman's the most interesting superhero in a way because he's the most human. he's the most like us. he can be kind of broken. which is really fascinating to be coupled with all this heroic stuff. >> reporter: the movie pits the two mightiest icons of the dc comics universe against each other. >> stay down! if i wanted it you'd be dead already! >> reporter: "batman vs. superman" is the -- wait, what? of movie titles. >> it's counter intuitive. you think, a, they're both good guys. and b, how could batman fight superman since superman is an alien and way stronger and invulnerable? >> if you'd ra have a head to head, batman vs. superman punchup, we know who wins. >> reporter: "batman vs. superman" uses multiple story
12:55 am
string-pullingvillian to put the do-gooders at odds. starting with a reprise of the end of "man of steel" and its destruction of the metropolis. >> you do have to realize that there is collateral damage which happens and someone's going to get blamed. that someone happened to be superman. >> it was important to sort of see that, yeah, there's consequence. it would be amazing if bruce wayne witnessed that. >> he has the power to wipe out the entire human race. if we believe there's even a 1% chance he's an enemy we have to take it as absolute certainty and we have to destroy him. >> reporter: he takes on 32-year-old henry cavill's superman clark kent. affleck at 43 is the oldest ever to be past at bruce wayne. >> i wanted a batman that had been batman for 20 years. he had the experiences that we
12:56 am
i felt like that character had a chance against superman. because he could outthink him. >> i wanted to be this one of these movies that was ballsy and had something to say. i wanted to do a movie my kids would think it's cool. my son thinks it's cool. >> reporter: samuel, his youngest, led affleck to meet the actor who excelled in the three batman epics who elevated the genre and grossed more than $1 billion tom stick. >> i was in literally a costume shop. not only that but my son, really into batman, wanted a batman costume. i was in the batman aisle. i hear, ben, is that you? i turn around and that's my bad immerse personation of christian bale's voice, who i didn't even realize was british, such a good actor, i'm like, wait a minute. you don't talk like that. it's christian. and he's incredibly sweet, really cool. and he's talking to me about going off and doing the movie.
12:57 am
they put a zipper in that suit, i couldn't take a piss for three movies. so sound advice. >> reporter: inside the suit a physique painstakingly primed to superhero standards. an absolute necessity given kaville's instagramcally impeccable pecs. >> that was daunting. i thought, if i have to be in as good of shape as this guy i'm in trouble. i worked out for almost a year before this movie started to get into becoming a superhero at my advanced age. and that does not come easy. that's what audiences have come to expect. i look at the adam west batman. i think, god, those guys got away with murder. >> reporter: affleck should know. he was in his less-muscular mid-30s when he put on the super suit to play tv's man of steel star george reeves in 2006's
12:58 am
>> i need to go and have a look at that, maybe i can make fun of ben on the press tour. >> reporter: "batman vs. superman: dawn of justice" cues fan boys and girls the director snyder is looking to amass the justice league, dc's all-star array for future avenger-style films. with this butt-kicking super sylph making her big-screen debut. >> she with you? >> i thought she was with you. >> my most fun day is when my kids came to set and saw us in the costumes. my son was like, is that the real wonder woman? i was like, yes! that actually is the real wonder woman! you're finally seeing the real one. >> how about when kids see you? what's it like when a child comes across and recognizes kind of who you are? what's that like to be on the other earned of?
12:59 am
part of this. because when a child sees you as superman, there is a lot of responsibility there not to mess up. you're often not expecting it. it's the last minute a parent thrusts their child in front of you and you have to say just the right things. you never know what kids are going to ask, those kids are honest. >> reporter: audiences expected to flock to its march 25th opening will be honest as well. with snyder looking to show "batman vs. superman" is a worthy success tore nolan's films. and affleck eager to provide more than just moral support as his director turns 50. >> are you going to do anything special for him in honor? >> i'm going to give him a lap dance, yeah. it's the only gift i can be sure he won't give back. and he can't regift. >> reporter: for "nightline" i'm chris connelly in los angeles. next, meet the man behind some of the most successful
1:00 am
1:03 am
1:04 am
and finally tonight, they say practice makes perfect. spending countless hours on the court with serena williams, this once small-time tennis coach is now volleying with a new superstar. he's abc's nick watt. >> reporter: behind this great woman's success, serena williams, there was a man. a shirtless man. her hitting partner of eight years. >> whatever i want, whatever i feel like, i have to put my own
1:05 am
just do whatever is best for her. >> reporter: sascha was a small-time tennis coach when he got the call. >> saturday night, 3:00 a.m. phone call out of nowhere. i even said no at first. just because it was a sunday morning, i didn't want to get up in four hours. >> reporter: he travels over 300 days a year. >> i haven't been in my home since october. i guess the cleaning lady moved in, i don't know. >> reporter: this week it's the bnp open in the california desert where last year he switched course switch ed horses, went to work with victoria. >> does victoria say, put your shirt on, you're drawing a crowd? >> she did once. it wasn't the crowd, i actually put lotion on because i didn't want to get burned and she said i was too shiny. >> reporter: whatever is best for her. he's like the husband my wife wishes i could be. i'm nick watt for "nightline" in
1:06 am
>> there is an old african proverb that may help explain the bond between player and coach. if you want to go fast, go alone. if you want to go far, go together. thank you for watching abc news. tune into "good morning america" tomorrow. as always we're online at abcnews.com. good night, america. >> you' re about to meet some folks who' ve come here today with just one goal--to win massive, life-changing sums of money, and i can' t wait to start handing out checks. let' s play
1:07 am
[cheers and applause] [dramatic music] hello, everybody. i' m chris harrison. welcome to the show. are you guys ready to play "who wants to be a millionaire"? [cheers and applause] all right, let' s do it. our first contestant is proof that if you persevere, you can overcome any obstacle. he' ll be putting that unstoppable spirit to the test right here today when he goes for the million. from landenberg, pennsylvania, please welcome kyle levenick. [cheers and applause] how you doing, sir? good to meet you. >> good to meet you. >> come on over. tell us about this great obstacle you overcame. >> well, when i was six years old, i was diagnosed with having tourette' s. and i kind of knew at the time that, you know, there was something weird going on with my body, and everybody could see it, and i could tell that everybody could see it. and, you know, that' s a weird time in your life, and as you go through school, you kind of see it more and more. and one of the things that i decided to do is that, since i can' t really control that, i want to try to control how i present it and myself to
81 Views
IN COLLECTIONS
WFTV (ABC) Television Archive Television Archive News Search ServiceUploaded by TV Archive on