Ambulance cover in Australia

There were 4.8 million ambulance call-outs in Australia between 2018 and 2019. Despite the high demand, you aren't covered for ambulance services in Australia unless you live in Queensland or Tasmania. To avoid fees of over $1,800 for a call-out you should consider ambulance cover. Luckily, it's affordable, with cover starting from as little as $3 a month with a basic extras policy.

What is ambulance cover?

Ambulance cover is a type of insurance that reimburses you for using an ambulance to receive emergency medical treatment. Unless you live in Queensland or Tasmania, it's not generally covered by Medicare, meaning an emergency ambulance trip can end up costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars if you don't have private health insurance.

Luckily, you can get standalone ambulance cover, which starts at around $40 per year. You'll also find that it's included with most extras policies for as little as $3 a week. As well as providing emergency ambulance cover, you can get benefits towards out of hospital treatments like dental, physiotherapy, optical and more.

Ambulance cover: Compare and get a quote

Want ambulance cover with your extras? Compare the policies and their benefit limits below – they all include emergency ambulance cover – plus a few other treatments like dental and physiotherapy.

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Name	Product	Emergency Ambulance	Physiotherapy	Dental	Price Per Month	Hide CompareBox	Apply
ahm black 50 saver			$300	$400	$12.60		1300 670 233 Go to Site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Peoplecare Simple Extras			$300	$500	$26.10		1300 717 481 Go to Site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Frank Simple Extras			$200	$600	$25.50		Go to Site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Medibank Healthy Start Extras			$500	$500	$26.50		1300 179 942 Go to Site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
HBF Flex 50			$800	$800	$27.59		Go to Site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Qantas Basic Extras			$350	$600	$33.05		1300 641 719 Go to Site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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Ambulance only cover options

The following health funds offer ambulance cover, prices are based on a single in Sydney (checked in April 2021):

*Quotes are based on an individual with less than $90,000 income.

Does Medicare cover ambulance services?

No. Many Australians wrongly believe their ambulance costs will be covered by Medicare and this is incorrect. Unless you are a resident of Queensland or Tasmania, you could be facing big call-out costs. Read on to find out more about the costs in your state and how you can get ambulance cover.

Ambulance cover NSW

Residents of New South Wales are charged 51% of the total emergency ambulance service charge, with the government covering the rest. From July 2020, New South Wales residents will have to pay an emergency ambulance call-out fee of $401 plus an additional $3.62 for every kilometre travelled.

Thanks to the Ambulance NSW levy scheme, if you have hospital cover, you're automatically covered for emergency transportation within New South Wales. If you don't have hospital cover, you may need to purchase ambulance cover (either as a standalone policy or as part of an extras policy) from a private health fund. Pensioner and concession cardholders can access most ambulance services for free, as can students covered by a school or group contribution. Those eligible for free ambulance services include people who hold a:

• Health Care Card
• Pensioner Concession Card
• Commonwealth Seniors Health Care Card (find out more at the Dept of Human Services)
• Department of Veterans Affairs Repatriation Health Card, also known as a Gold Card (excluding non-emergency ambulance services)
• Department of Veterans Affairs Repatriation Health Card, also known as a White Card (only for services relating to a specific condition that is funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs)

Cost of an ambulance in New South Wales

NSW Government: NSW Ambulance – Accounts & Fees. January 2021.

Ambulance cover VIC

Victorians can purchase ambulance cover through membership with Ambulance Victoria which provides a 1-year membership for $48.35. If you hold a concession card, you can get clinically necessary ambulance cover for free. Otherwise, you have the option of taking out ambulance cover through your private health fund.

Cost of an ambulance in Victoria

Ambulance Victoria fee schedule 2020-21. January 2021.

Ambulance cover QLD

If you live in the Sunshine State, the Queensland Government covers the cost of emergency ambulance services not only in Queensland but also right around the country. In order to be covered under the Community Ambulance Cover scheme, you'll need to be able to demonstrate that your principal place of residence is in Queensland.

Cost of an ambulance in Queensland

Ambulance cover SA

South Australian residents can purchase a subscription with the South Australian Ambulance Service. Prices start at $88.50 for one person. You can also get Australia-wide (interstate) ambulance cover for $104.60. Otherwise, you could be looking at $1,044 for an emergency call-out fee. There are pension rates available for holders of an SA Pension concession card. The rate starts at $53.50 for a single pensioner.

Alternatively, a health insurance policy that includes ambulance services may be better value for money as you can also get covered for other medical treatment, not just ambulance services.

Cost of an ambulance in SA

SAAS Transport Fees 1 July 2020 – 30 June 2021. January 2021.

Ambulance cover WA

Western Australian residents who want cover for ambulance services need to purchase health insurance that includes ambulance cover. Western Australian residents who are over the age of 65 and are receiving an Australian government pension are entitled to free ambulance services. This includes emergency ambulance services and medically necessary non-urgent ambulance services. If you're over 65 but you don't receive a government pension, you are still entitled to 50% off the cost of ambulance services.

Country Ambulance Cover is available with St John Ambulance Cover WA. Prices start at $57 for a single person if you live south of the 26th parallel and $75 for those north of the 26th parallel. In Perth, St John Ambulance operates a "user pays" system, so you need private health insurance if you don't want to pay for ambulance services.

Cost of an ambulance in Western Australia

St John Ambulance WA transport charges. January 2021.

Ambulance cover ACT

The ACT Ambulance Service doesn't offer ambulance-only cover so you'll need private health insurance or ambulance-only cover if you want to avoid the fees outlined below. Residents who hold a Pensioner Concession Card or Health Care Card are entitled to free emergency ambulance services within the ACT. When travelling interstate though, there is no cover available if you're travelling in Queensland, South Australia or Western Australia.

Cost of an ambulance in the ACT

ACT government ambulance service fees. January 2021.

Family ambulance cover

There are a few ways you can get family ambulance cover. Here's a brief breakdown of each state.

Prices checked January 2021

What's the cheapest way to get ambulance cover?

Standalone ambulance cover is generally the cheapest way to get covered. However, it's not necessarily the best value for money. For instance, a standalone ambulance cover policy is likely to cost you between $50 and $110 a year depending on the state you live in but this covers you for emergency ambulances only. You can get the same service with extras cover for as little as $3 a week, but you'll also get routine dental, physiotherapy and chiropractic cover included.

If standalone ambulance cover is all you're interested in, then you don't need to consider extras. But if you want value for money, then go for an extras policy that also includes emergency ambulance and a range of other important health services.

What to look for to find the best ambulance cover

When shopping around for ambulance cover, look for a policy that includes the following:

How do waiting periods work for ambulance cover?

You most likely won't have to serve a waiting period to be covered for emergency ambulance services and on-the-spot treatment with either hospital, extras or a standalone ambulance-only cover or subscription. This is because waiting periods generally only apply to treatments that you can anticipate needing, but you're only eligible for emergency transport to hospital because of sudden or unexpected events, hence you don't usually have a waiting period of more than one day.

However, you will likely have to serve around a 1- or 2-month waiting period for non-emergency ambulance services. This is simply to prevent you from getting cover only when you need it.

The table below outlines typical waiting periods for emergency and non-emergency ambulance transportation.

Will ambulance insurance cover me if I'm interstate?

It depends on where you live and what type of ambulance cover you have. Most private health insurance policies will offer interstate ambulance cover no matter what state you live in. Click the dropdown below for a breakdown of some of your other choices (or lack thereof) in each state.

• Interstate ambulance cover

  • New South Wales. New South Wales offers free emergency ambulance to pensioners and concession card holders and these residents will also be covered in Queensland and South Australia. New South Wales does not have a subscription service so the only solution for most people is private cover.
  • Victoria. Victoria residents with a pensioner card or certain other concession cards receive free emergency ambulance transport anywhere in Australia. For other residents, Ambulance Victoria offers a subscription service that covers their ambulance transport throughout the country. Even with the subscription service, private cover can still come in handy as it will often provide refunds for your subscription costs.
  • Queensland. Queensland offers free state-based ambulance cover to all residents and it applies Australia-wide.
  • South Australia. The South Australia Ambulance Service offers its own paid ambulance subscription service and you can upgrade to include interstate cover for an additional charge. Pensioners can receive a discount on this service. You can take out private ambulance cover as an alternative to this service, or you can look for a policy that will reimburse your subscription costs.
  • Western Australia. The not-for-profit organisation St John Ambulance runs a subscription service for all regional residents and subscribers are covered Australia-wide so long as they have a reciprocal arrangement with St John Ambulance Western Australia. Perth metropolitan residents will have to take out private cover if they want ambulance cover. Full age pensioners are eligible for free state-based ambulance service and won't need the subscription service or private ambulance cover. It's also available interstate.
  • Tasmania. All Tasmania residents are eligible for free state-based ambulance cover but it's only good within Tasmania. If you want to be covered interstate, you'll need private health insurance.
  • Northern Territory. The not-for-profit organisation St John Ambulance runs an ambulance subscription service for all Northern Territory residents and subscribers are covered Australia-wide. Pensioners are covered free through a state-based scheme and this covers them within the Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia but nowhere else in Australia. Private cover is one way to fill in these gaps.
  • Australian Capital Territory. The only residents who are entitled to free emergency ambulance cover are holders of a Pensioner Concession Card or Health Care Card. Their cover extends interstate as long as it's a state with a reciprocal agreement with the ACT. These states are New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. There is no subscription service so everyone else will need private health insurance.

St John Ambulance cover Australia wide

St John Ambulance services operate in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. If you sign up to a membership with St John Ambulance services in the Northern Territory, subscribers are covered Australia-wide and entitled to free emergency transport in any state or territory in Australia. For Western Australians, interstate coverage is restricted to services in other states that have a reciprocal arrangement with St John Ambulance Western Australia.

Frequently asked questions

• I called an ambulance for someone else – will I be sent the bill?

  No. The patient who receives treatment or transportation from an ambulance service is responsible for paying the bill.

• How much will an ambulance cost if I don't have ambulance cover?

  Ambulance costs vary between states and territories. As an example, a New South Wales road ambulance in an emergency situation attracts a call-out fee of $401 plus a variable charge of $3.62 per kilometre. In Victoria, a fee of $1,265 applies to metropolitan emergency road transport, while a fee of $1,866 is charged for regional and rural emergency road transport. Please note the costs above may be subject to change.

• Do pensioners and concession card holders get free ambulance cover Australia wide?

  Holders of certain concession cards are entitled to access free ambulance services. For example, if you hold a Department of Veterans' Affairs Gold Card, you are covered for the cost of state ambulance services right around Australia.

  You may also be able to access free ambulance services if you hold other types of concession cards but the cover available varies depending on the state or territory in which you live and where you travel interstate.

  For example, NSW Health Care Concession Card, Pensioner Concession Card and Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders are entitled to free ambulance services in NSW. However, because of the different arrangements in place around Australia, the details of cover get complicated when you travel interstate. If you travel to Queensland you will be covered for emergency ambulance services only but if you travel to South Australia you will not be covered for any ambulance services. Apart from that, NSW pensioners are covered for ambulance services in all other states and territories.

• State ambulance service subscriptions

  An alternative to taking out ambulance cover from your private health insurer is to purchase a subscription from your state ambulance service. Offered by ambulance services in South Australia, the Northern Territory, Victoria and Western Australia, these subscriptions allow you to purchase cover for emergency and non-emergency ambulance services Australia-wide.

  This means you will be covered not only in your own state or territory but also when travelling anywhere in Australia.

  However, it's once again essential that you read the fine print and make sure you're aware of what ambulance costs your subscription does and does not cover.