Buyer Beware when purchasing insurance coverage. 

Earlier this year, a Camp Verde couple signed a document as medics rushed to fly their 4-year-old son to Flagstaff for emergency care.  It wasn’t until the bill arrived weeks later that they learned their insurance only covered $5,000 of the flight and left the remaining $38,000 to them.

When the Arizona Republic published the couple’s story, the air ambulance company lowered the total cost.

The Department of Insurance has reported a spike in similar complaints of air ambulance costs not being covered.

Stephen Briggs with the Department has warned consumers can no longer assume they are covered.

“Understand your policy and what is included in that beforehand, so that you're equipped to make the best decisions for you, your family in these situations,” he said.

Consumers can file a formal complaint with the department but Briggs admitted a lot of the rules and regulations are beyond their scope of control, which has left consumers to be on defense.