Ambulance Cover in Australia

Ambulance insurance

Ambulance costs are not always free like in the UK so check the state you are moving to. Also if you are visiting Australia for a holiday always make sure you have some kind of ambulance cover as this is not covered under the reciprocal agreement.

Queensland

Ambulance cover use to be covered under our electricity bills. Now it is covered by the Qld Gov. The good news is that even if you travel interstate you will be covered so if you do receive an invoice for ambulance treatment/transport provided to you or your child/dependant by another state or territory ambulance service, you are requested to forward the invoice to the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) for payment.

You will also need to provide proof of Queensland residency as follows.

Adults require:

A copy of one of the following documents:

• current photographic identification which includes the current principal place of residence in Queensland, eg. a drivers licence (include a copy of the front and back of the licence); or
• statement from a bank or financial institution showing the current principal place of residence and the name of the institution; or
• current Queensland issued Centrelink Pension Concession Card; or
• current Queensland issued Centrelink Health Care Card. 

Alternatively a statutory declaration, which includes the current principal place of residence in Queensland, can be provided. 

Children/Dependants require:

As the guardian of the child/dependant, provide a copy of one of the documents listed above. In addition, provide a copy of one of the following documents to confirm that the child/dependant is in your care: 

• current Medicare card with the child/dependant’s name; or 
• child/dependant’s birth certificate; or 
• current student identification card for the child/ dependant. 

Note:

• Please ensure that the documentation covers the date of the ambulance treatment/transport provided.
• The following documents are not deemed to provide proof of residency, and are therefore not accepted in relation to payment of interstate ambulance invoices:
  • telephone or mobile phone account
  • electricity account, rates notice or other utility account
  • Australian passport
  • rental statements or receipts
  • other correspondence delivered to a Queensland address.

Please forward the invoice and above mentioned proof of Queensland residency to:

Interstate Accounts
Queensland Ambulance Service
GPO Box 1425
BRISBANE QLD 4001

Or via email to: qasdebt@ambulance.qld.gov.au

Victoria 

Ambulance cover is not free in Victoria (eligible Victorian's free) it could be included if you have private medical insurance or Extras Insurance. If not you could take out a policy with Ambulance Victoria which will cost you around $89 for the family for a year. http://ambulance.vic.gov.au/membership/

The cost of an ambulance in Victoria is a minimum of $1174 via Road in metro Melbourne.  In rural Victoria it is $1732 and by air ambulance it is $4898 or air helicopter is $10,475

Under the State Concession Scheme, eligible Victorian’s holding certain concession cards receive free clinically necessary ambulance coverage throughout Australia.  In all cases, transport is provided to the nearest and most appropriate medical facility.

For the purpose of ambulance transport, the Concession classification includes:
• a person holding a current Victorian Pensioner Concession Card (includes dependent children listed on the card but not spouses)
• a current Health Care Card holder and their dependents including spouses listed on the card (does not include Health Care Card for carer allowance and foster care issued in the name of the child)
• a child holding a current Child Disability Health Care Card or Foster Child Health Care Card, but not their guardians/families listed on the card
• a child under a Family reunification, Care by Secretary or Long-term care order including children on interim accommodation orders
• a person who is subject to an order under the Mental Health Act 2014, Sentencing Act 1991, or Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997 requiring them to be compulsorily assessed or treated in a designated mental health service. This includes compulsory, security and forensic patients.
• asylum seekers who are clients of one of the 16 nominated agencies for asylum seeker support found here Ambulance Transport Payment Guidelines

Concession transport from a private healthcare facility
If a concession card holder is transported from a private healthcare facility the sending private facility is responsible for payment. This includes registered private hospitals and registered private day procedure centres. The private healthcare facility decides whether or not to pass this cost onto the patient.

Concession benefits do not apply when:
• a patient only holds a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card and they do not have one of the concession cards listed above
• a patient requests to be repatriated or relocated to or from Victoria for non-clinical reasons or when the transport is not clinically necessary (repatriation back to Victoria must be authorised as clinically necessary and there must be a demonstrated clinical requirement for ambulance transport)
• another party is responsible for the account.

The other party responsible could be:
• the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) where a person holds a Gold Card or a White Card (subject to the conditions of the card)
• the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) (subject to the conditions under the scheme)
• the Victorian WorkCover Authority (VWA) (subject to the conditions under the scheme).

Evidence of concession entitlements
In order to access entitlements, AV will require evidence of concession entitlements.  The card must also be valid at the time of transport or the account will remain the responsibility of the relevant individual, hospital or chargeable authority as detailed in the Ambulance Payment Guidelines.

NSW

Ambulance cover is not free in NSW. You will need to take out private health cover.

If you or someone you know requires emergency ambulance treatment and/or transport you will be required to pay a fee for this service unless you are exempt from payment (ie Pensioner) Ambulance fees are based on a call out charge plus a per kilometre charge.  Kilometres are based on the round trip between the ambulance station, pick up address, destination and return to the ambulance station.

If you live in NSW you will only be billed for 51% of the actual charge as the NSW government subsidises the service for NSW residents. 

The call out charge is $364 and then $3.29 per km. A maximum charge of $5971 payable.

If you are interstate and a Resident of another States or Territories, which are not a party to a Reciprocal

Rights Agreement for ambulance services (currently Queensland and

South Australia do not have an agreement) then these are charged full recovery which is: Call Out is $714 and then $6.44 per km.

WA

Ambulance cover is not free In WA unless you are an eligible concession holder.

You can check out a private health insurance or take out a policy with St John’s Ambulance Service WA and you’re covered for comprehensive ambulance services Australia wide.

Costs of an ambulance in Perth is approximately $930, however please check prior to needing this service.

South Australia

Ambulance cover is not free in SA. You can take out a private health insurance or take out SA own ambulance cover http://www.saambulance.com.au/ProductsServices/AmbulanceCover.aspx

Costs of an ambulance in South Australia is 

Provision of revival team $3,039

Emergency Call Out $934

Non emergency Call Out $208

Treat no Transport $208

On top of this you have km charges of $5.40 per km.

SA Ambulance Service will invoice and recover monies for ambulance services relating to treatment and/or transport of persons except where:

• The person holds a valid and current Ambulance Cover membership*
• The service is for the initial attendance at a motor vehicle accident ^
• Payment for the invoice is the responsibility of another party and such party has acknowledged responsibility for payment of the invoice.

Northern Territory 

Ambulance cover is not free in NT unless you are a pensioner. Again I would check out private health insurance or have a look at St Johns Ambulance for NT and interstate cover http://www.stjohnnt.org.au/ambulance-service/ambulance-cover

Costs of an ambulance is between $700 - $900 and then a km fee will be charged.

Tasmania

Ambulance Tasmania provides a free service to Tasmanian residents within Tasmania and its islands. The only chargeable cases are those related to motor vehicle or workplace accidents where insurance arrangements cover costs and cases involving veterans where the Department of Veterans Affairs meets the cost of ambulance transport.

• If you are involved in a car accident and treated and/or transported by ambulance, you will receive an invoice from Ambulance Tasmania with a Motor Accidents Insurance Board (MAIB) claim form attached.  Please send the ambulance invoice and completed claim form to the MAIB who will process your claim and if eligible pay the account.  If your claim is denied, as a Tasmanian resident you may still be eligible to a waiver of fees; contact Ambulance Tasmania and provide proof of your Tasmanian residency and a copy of the MAIB's rejection letter for consideration.
• If you get injured at work and are treated and/or transported by ambulance, you will receive an invoice from Ambulance Tasmania.  Please send  the ambulance invoice to your employer as part of your Workers Compensation claim; if you are self-employed, forward the invoice to your insurance company.
• If you are hurt at work and a Tasmanian resident not covered by Workers Compensation or private insurance if you are self-employed, or if your claim is rejected, please contact Ambulance Tasmania to explain the circumstances and provide proof of Tasmanian residency for consideration.
• If we cannot determine whether you are a Tasmanian resident, or we believe a third party could be responsible for payment, or other circumstances require us to do so, we may issue you an invoice. If you are a Tasmanian resident, you may still be eligible to a waiver of fees; contact Ambulance Tasmania and provide proof of your Tasmanian residency for our consideration.

Tasmanian residents who are treated and/or transported by ambulance on the mainland will receive an invoice from the attending ambulance service (e.g. Ambulance Victoria, Queensland Ambulance Service etc).

Informal reciprocal arrangements are in place covering the cost of emergency road ambulance between all states and territories except South Australia and Queensland.  If you receive an invoice from a mainland ambulance service (other than from South Australia or Queensland), please forward the invoice with proof of your Tasmanian residency to Ambulance Tasmania and we will contact the relevant ambulance service on your behalf and request they withdraw the invoice .

The governments of South Australia and Queensland do not participate in the reciprocal arrangements and Tasmanian residents are responsible for any ambulance accounts issued by these ambulance services.  There are no circumstances in which the Tasmanian Government will pay for ambulance services for Tasmanian residents, including pensioners, who are visiting South Australia or Queensland.

The reciprocal arrangements apply only to emergency road ambulance transport and generally do not cover non-emergency or  inter-hospital patient transport, helicopter rescue or medical retrieval by air ambulance in any state or territory. All Tasmanian residents travelling on the mainland should consider obtaining appropriate travel or other insurance to avoid potentially significant out-of-pocket expenses.

Visiting 

All Tasmanian residents who travel overseas are strongly encouraged to obtain appropriate travel or other insurance and to check carefully the level of cover provided to avoid potentially significant out-of-pocket expenses for ambulance transport and related medical costs.

Visitors to Tasmania

All mainland and overseas visitors to Tasmania will receive an invoice from Ambulance Tasmania for ambulance services.

If you were in a car accident in Tasmania involving a Tasmanian plated vehicle or rental car hired in Tasmania, you may be eligible to claim benefits from the Motor Accidents Insurance Board (MAIB).  Please forward Ambulance Tasmania's invoice to MAIB along with details of the accident and the Tasmanian plated vehicle(s) involved.

If you were involved in a car accident in Tasmania while driving a mainland-plated vehicle and no Tasmanian-plated vehicle was also involved, please forward your invoice to your state's motor vehicle accident insurance agency (e.g. TAC in Victoria) and ask them to advise you on what your level of cover is. You may have to pay any balance owing after your state's motor vehicle accident insurance agency has paid Ambulance Tasmania in accordance with their rules.

If you live in Queensland and hold ambulance cover, the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) will pay the invoice if you provide appropriate proof of Queensland residency.  Please contact your local QAS office for further details.

The South Australian Government is phasing out cover for interstate ambulance transport. Please contact the South Australian Ambulance Service to determine whether or not you are covered for interstate ambulance services.

If you reside in ACT, Victoria, NT, NSW or SA and you hold ambulance cover in your state or territory, under most circumstances you will be covered for emergency road ambulance services in Tasmania. Please forward the Ambulance Tasmania invoice to your ambulance cover provider for processing.

If you do not hold ambulance cover:

• Please check with your health or travel insurance provider if you are covered for ambulance transport.
• If you are a holder of a Commonwealth Pensioner Concession Card or Health Care Card and you do not have travel or other insurance which covers ambulance transport, you may forward us a certified copy of you Concession Card with your invoice for a waiver of fees. Take your invoice to Australia Post or any police station and ask for a "certified copy" of your pension care, stamped and verified that the original has been sighted.
• If you have a DVA card, see below.
• In all other circumstances, other than the exceptions outlined above, you are required to pay Ambulance Tasmania's invoice.

The reciprocal arrangements apply only to emergency road ambulance attendance and transport by emergency road ambulance to a public hospital. The arrangements do not cover non-emergency or inter-hospital patient transport, helicopter rescue, air ambulance or medical retrieval in Tasmania or repatriation to the mainland.  All visitors to Tasmania should check with their health or travel insurance provider before they travel and consider obtaining appropriate travel or other insurance to avoid potentially significant out-of-pocket expenses.

United Kingdom Residents Visiting Tasmania

Australia's Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with the UK Government does not cover ambulance services for UK residents visiting Tasmania as these services are not included in Australia's national health care arrangements.

DVA Card Holders

If you have a DVA health card and you receive an invoice from Ambulance Tasmania, depending on the type of  card you hold and the circumstances under which ambulance treatment and/or transport was provided, you may be entitled to ambulance cover through the Department of Veterans Affairs; please write your DVA number on Ambulance Tasmania's invoice and return it to us for processing.

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