Claude and Dylis Barre
“In April 2020, my husband had a heart valve replacement (TAVR) procedure that was supposed to mean 2-3 days in the hospital. Complications turned it into five days plus two weeks’ rehab,” says Dylis Barre. At the time, COVID-19 was moving swiftly through the nation. Not only was Dylis barred from even seeing Claude, but when the time came to return from their winter residence in Texas back to New York, shutdowns in public services meant it took over three months for her to get license plates on a recently purchased van. On top of that, delayed paperwork had gotten her license suspended and she had to deal with reinstating it!
“We first planned to have SkyMed fly us home and have a driver return our van, but for a variety of reasons, that wouldn’t work,” said Dylis. “Flights from Texas back to upstate New York involved three different planes and a minimum of about 14 hours if we made all the connections and there were no delays. Plus, due to COVID, finding a driver would take longer than we could wait for things that needed to be transported home in the van. Claude improved and could drive, but he still had problems walking!”
“So, we called Jim [Edwards] and told him we were going to drive ourselves back, thanking him for his help. To our complete surprise, he told us SkyMed would cover our fuel costs and pay us a mileage fee for other expenses. We kept our gas receipts and sent them to [SkyMed] and received reimbursement promptly. I can’t recall any experience with any other companies that were so helpful and pleasant!”
How did you find out about SkyMed, and why did you choose SkyMed?
“We learned of SkyMed at a NY Golf Streamers RV rally when we were visiting Lancaster, PA, I think around 2011. Especially since my husband’s final resting place will be in Canada, the knowledge that we wouldn’t have to deal with international issues if he should pass away in the US was a big factor. I formerly had a plan with Good Sam, but it wasn’t even close to the services that SkyMed offers. Although we no longer have an RV, we do spend half the year a long way away from our permanent residence in upstate NY, and my husband has some serious health issues that could mean we’d need an ambulance or other service that Medicare might not cover.”
What would you tell your friends about your experience with SkyMed?
“SkyMed is well worth what we pay for it, and I would highly recommend it. We speak highly of SkyMed anytime the occasion comes up. Thanks again to everyone there for being there when we needed you!”
REMEMBER
Two years ago, the pandemic upended the world, but as SkyMed Champions Claude and Dylis Barre found out, that didn’t mean SkyMed couldn’t step in to help to the fullest extent of its capacity! In the event of any critical illness or injury, always reach out to SkyMed even if you’re not sure what we can do for you. Our Membership Plans can span up to 18 services, from the key Hospital-to-Hospital Air Transportation, Vehicle Return, and Commercial Carrier Medical Escort flight services all the way to Ground Ambulance, Helicopter Transport, “Home and Away” Services within 100 Miles of Home, and much, much more!
