Initiative approved by the Catron County Board of County Commissioners to cover vital air medical transport for Catron County residents

Medically necessary air transports of PHI Cares members result in no out-of-pocket expenses for Catron County residents flown from within Catron, Cibola, Socorro, Sierra, and Grant Counties in New Mexico, and Greenlee and Apache Counties in Arizona when flown by PHI Air Medical

Click here for images of the helicopters protecting Catron County

Catron County, NM, September 23, 2026 – The Catron County Board of County Commissioners have renewed the air medical agreement with PHI Cares, a division of PHI Air Medical, a leading U.S. helicopter-based medical transport provider. Residents who receive an eligible, medically necessary emergency air medical transport from Catron, Cibola, Socorro, Sierra, and Grant Counties in New Mexico, and Greenlee and Apache Counties in Arizona aboard a PHI Air Medical aircraft will have no out-of-pocket responsibility for the covered transport, subject to the terms and limitations of the agreement. The municipal agreement is effective from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.

Importantly, the agreement provides PHI Cares membership benefits to eligible residents, including residents who do not have medical insurance coverage or another responsible third-party payer. Consistent with applicable law and the terms of the agreement, Medicaid recipients are not eligible for membership. PHI Air Medical coordinates with the resident's insurer or other responsible third-party payer to resolve claims for eligible, medically necessary transports, ensuring members have no out-of-pocket responsibility for transports covered under the agreement.

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 all service areas of PHI Cares when the member is transported 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 Manager, Field Sales Lead, at 855-418-4244 or visit https://phicares.com/catron-county-nm/. 

In emergencies, residents should contact 911. Following a flight, the resident flown or representative on the resident's behalf should notify PHI Cares at 1.888.I.Fly.PHI (1.888.435.9744) and supply the County membership number #079933 and provide any available transport details.

Sonya Palacios, PHI Cares Manager, Field Sales Lead overseeing New Mexico, said: "The people of Catron County are our priority, and this renewed agreement ensures residents have vital, life-saving protection when emergencies happen. Knowing that medically necessary air transports come with no out-of-pocket costs provides real peace of mind. We encourage every resident to pick up their membership card and seriously consider protecting their household when traveling outside the county."

For more information, visit https://phicares.com/catron-county-nm/  or https://www.phiairmedical.com/ . Inquiries can be directed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or 855-418-4244, referencing the Catron County Membership Program.

About PHI Cares

PHI Cares is the membership program of PHI Air Medical and its cooperative partners, helping protect members' finances in the event of an unplanned air medical transport. With over 500,000 members nationwide, PHI Cares protects you so you can focus on what matters most – your recovery! Become a member today!

About PHI Air Medical

PHI Air Medical is a leading air medical transport provider, operating over 80 air medical bases in the nation. These bases provide outreach education to local communities and healthcare systems across the nation. Safely transporting more than 22,500 patients each year, each PHI Air Medical base maintains a crew of highly trained pilots, flight nurses, and paramedics – prepared to respond to emergency medical transport requests.

Contact Information

PHI Air Medical: Hope Newsom, PHI Cares Senior Membership Manager | 855-628-6723 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

IBA International: Georgia Harris, PHI Air Medical PR 561-228-1940 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

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