The emergency services community can get their health insurance covered through Emergency Service Health, with their three top-tier options for insurance.
First responders deserve top quality care, which is why Emergency Services Health only offers top-level cover. The wellbeing of emergency services employees and volunteers, along with their close relatives, is in good hands.
Top 3 features
- Good for emergency services staff and volunteers, plus their families.
- Good for easy to understand policies.
- Beware if you're after a lower level of cover.
Who is Emergency Services Health?
Emergency Services Health is a not-for-profit health fund designed to look after the health and wellbeing of Australia's emergency services community. Backed by Police Health, Emergency Services Health is a Members Own Health Fund with a focus on providing straightforward products and comprehensive cover for emergency services personnel and volunteers.
As a not-for-profit health fund, it's tailored to looking after the health care needs of the first responder community. Run entirely to benefit members, it offers products that are easy to understand, provide a high level of cover and are available at an affordable price. Members are given the freedom to choose their preferred hospital, doctor and any other health care service provider, as long as that provider is recognised by Emergency Services Health.
With restricted access membership, Emergency Services Health eligibility includes current or previous employees or volunteers and their families in the following professions:
- Fire response and recovery sector. Employees/volunteers of a not-for-profit, commercial, or national, state or territory government fire department/service or association/union. Those who work for registered training organisations and/or specialist emergency service equipment suppliers in this sector are also eligible.
- Ambulance and medical response and recovery sector. Employees/volunteers of a not-for-profit, commercial, or national, state or territory government ambulance department, hospital service or association/union. People working in a medical, nursing or allied health capacity and registered with the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency can also be covered, as can employees and volunteers of registered training organisations and/or specialist emergency service equipment suppliers.
- Water response and recovery sector. Employees/volunteers of a not-for-profit, commercial, or national, state or territory government life saving department/service or association/union. Employees and volunteers of registered training organisations and/or equipment suppliers in this sector are also covered.
- State emergency response and recovery sector. Employees/volunteers of a not-for-profit, commercial, or national, state or territory government emergency services department or association/union. Employees/volunteers of registered training organisations and/or specialist emergency service equipment suppliers in this sector are also covered.
What health insurance options are available?
With a focus on keeping cover as simple as possible, Emergency Services Health offers only three cover options: Rolling Extras, Gold Hospital and Gold Combined, all of which provide top-level cover.
- Rolling Extras. Provides cover for an extensive range of general health services, allowing you and your family to stay in top shape. The policy covers 80% of the cost of most extras services and you have the freedom to visit the recognised health provider of your choice. Plus, Emergency Service Health is the only insurance group in Australia that offers rollover benefits.
- Gold Hospital. This hospital-only product provides cover for treatment in any private or public hospital or day surgery around Australia. Its aim is to give you and your family freedom of choice in health care with no excesses, no benefit limitation periods or exclusions and no co-payments. Lifelong Hospital covers all treatments and procedures where Medicare pays a benefit.
- Gold Combined. This comprehensive policy brings together all the benefits of the Gold Hospital and Rolling Extras policies. In addition, this policy also provides benefits towards the cost of corrective laser eye surgery.
Did you know?
On 1 April 2019, the government's Private Health Insurance Reforms will come into effect for all private health insurers in Australia. New product tiers of Gold, Silver, Bronze & Basic will define what's covered by a hospital policy as standard across the industry. This new tiered system is linked to a standardised list of clinical categories which set the minimum standards for the hospital services to be covered under each tier.
The Emergency Services Health fund will continue offering just one level of hospital cover, Gold. It enables them to provide their members with the best possible value for money and ultimate peace of mind.
Member offers
Emergency Services Health's Refer A Mate offer encourages you to tell your friends and family about your cover and if a mate signs up, you can both reap rewards.
When you refer an eligible person to join the fund with any one of the three cover options, you'll both receive a $50 gift card. Just make sure the new member quotes the promo code 'REFER' when signing up.
How to make a claim
Lodging claims differs based on the service and the provider.
- Hospital: Hospital claims usually go directly to Emergency Services Health from the hospital and a claim payment is sent back to the hospital, so you don't have to worry about making a claim.
- On the spot: The majority of extras claims can be processed on the spot if the health provider has HICAPS or iSOFT HealthPoint claiming facilities. Most eligible claims are processed this way, and you just pay any out-of-pocket gap then and there.
- Other extras services claims: For claims that can't be made on the spot, you can fill out a claim form send it with the relevant accounts and receipts via one of four ways;
- Email (myclaim@eshealth.com.au) with your membership number in the subject line
- Email mail to Emergency Services Health, Reply Paid 84966, Halifax St SA 5000.
- Fax to 1300 151 152.
- Upload to the Emergency Services Health Mobile Claiming App.
