The Socorro County Board of County Commissioners have approved the air medical agreement with PHI Cares, a division of PHI Air Medical, a leading U.S. helicopter-based medical transport provider. Residents requiring authorized emergency air medical transport from Socorro County, will benefit from no out-of-pocket expenses when utilizing PHI Air Medical thanks to the agreement. The municipal agreement is effective from February 1, 2026, through January 31, 2027.

Importantly, the agreement includes residents who are not enrolled in Medicaid, do not have existing medical insurance coverage, or lack a responsible third-party for their medical transport. In all other cases, PHI Air Medical coordinates with the resident’s insurer to resolve claims for medically necessary transports, ensuring members have no out-of-pocket costs and can focus on what matters most, their recovery.

As an additional benefit of this agreement, residents qualify for a Full National Household Membership Upgrade Option at $40 per year per household. This optional upgrade extends coverage outside the County Service Area to include any current PHI Cares service areas, applying only to transports aboard a PHI aircraft. The household plan includes all members of a resident’s household as defined in the agreement. To enroll in the Full National Household Membership Upgrade, residents can contact Sonya Palacios, PHI Cares Field Sales Team Manager, at 855-345-4844 or visit https://phicares.com/socorro-county-nm/.

In emergencies, residents should contact 911. Following a flight, the resident flown or representative on their behalf should notify PHI Cares at 1.888.I.Fly.PHI (1.888.435.9744) and supply the County membership number #075391 and any available transport details.

Sonya Palacios, PHI Cares Field Sales Team Manager overseeing New Mexico, said: “We are proud to partner with Socorro County to bring this vital protection to its residents. This agreement ensures that when emergencies happen, families can focus on recovery — not the financial burden of air medical transport. We encourage every resident to pick up their membership card and consider protecting their household when traveling outside the county.”