Apollo Hospitals Enterprises and Deccan Aviation, partners in a new heli-ambulance service plan, hope to rope in medical insurance companies to drive up the market.

A large number of emergency cases need air-lifting for timely medical attention and helicopter service being expensive, it is up to health insurance companies to make it affordable by offering it in their policies, said Ms Sangita Reddy, Executive Director, Operations, Apollo Hospitals Enterprises, and Capt. G.R. Gopinath, Executive Chairman, Deccan Aviation, here on Wednesday.

Talks are on with 3-4 insurance providers and the concept could be a reality soon pending approval of the insurance regulator, they said at the demonstration of the service.

The Apollo group has made 400 emergency air-lifts in the past two-and-a-half years and each trip can cost the patient Rs 1-2 lakh depending on the distance to the hospital, or around Rs 75,000 an hour, Ms Reddy said. With a formal policy, the cost could be brought down.