Ambulance Cover

Ambulance cover helps cover the cost of paramedic treatment and patient transport by ambulance. Emergency transportation and ambulance services are essential for urgent medical care, but they aren’t covered by Medicare, which could mean fees for you. Ambulance cover can be bought as a stand-alone product but is often also included in hospital and extras policies. This isn’t guaranteed, though, so always read your policy documentation to better understand what your policy covers.

Although Medicare does not cover ambulance costs, most ambulance transport services and treatments are covered for pensioners and concession cardholders across the country. Ambulance services for Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) cardholders are covered in every state and territory.²

Information about the provisions for pensioners and concession cardholders’ ambulance cover is listed under the relevant states and territories below.

Please note: This information may only apply in your state of residence (unless you’re a Qld resident).

NSW residents can purchase health insurance or stand-alone ambulance cover from a private health insurer to be covered for ambulance transport. NSW residents who require ambulance treatment or transport services are billed 51% of the actual charge, and the NSW government subsidises the remaining 49% of the cost.³ Charges include a callout fee ($464 for emergencies and $365 for non-emergencies) plus additional charges per kilometre ($4.18 per km for emergencies and $2.26 for non-emergencies) when transported by road, aircraft, helicopter or a combination of these ambulance services.

Pensioners and concession cardholders

If you’re an NSW resident who is the current holder of any of the listed cards below, you’re not required to pay for ambulance transport or urgent ambulance services:²

• Health Care Card
• Pensioner Concession Card
• Commonwealth Seniors Health Care Card.

Charges for ambulance services in Vic vary depending on the type of transport (emergency or non-emergency), the mode of transport (e.g., road or air ambulance), and the location of the callout.⁴ The emergency callout fee is $1,437 in metropolitan areas and $2,121 for regional callouts. You can get ambulance cover through an Ambulance Victoria membership or a registered health fund to ensure that you are covered in the event you need an ambulance callout.⁵

Pensioners and concession cardholders

Vic residents holding either a Health Care Card or Victorian Pensioner Concession Card can receive free, clinically necessary ambulance services.²

If a cardholder is transported by ambulance from a private healthcare facility (like private hospitals and day surgery clinics), that facility is responsible for payment. However, it may choose to pass the cost onto the patient.

There may be eligibility requirements for pensioners and concession cardholders when obtaining free ambulance cover. Be sure to check with Ambulance Victoria to see if you’re eligible.

The Qld state government covers all ambulance costs for QLD residents, so you aren’t required to organise your own cover.⁶ Ambulance coverage for Queensland residents also extends across the entire country. However, for visitors to Queensland who aren’t residents, the state imposes a callout fee of $1,559.57.

If you need to claim treatment in another state or territory, you can do so by forwarding any invoices you receive, as well as proof of Qld residency, to the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS).

Pensioners and concession cardholders

Qld residents are automatically covered for emergency ambulance transport and treatment Australia-wide.² If you were interstate when you required ambulance services, you need to forward the ambulance invoice to QAS along with proof of Qld residency, which can be your current Qld-issued Centrelink Pension Concession Card.⁶

You can also send documentation via email and, if eligible, the QAS may pay the invoice on your behalf.

South Australia operates a user-pays ambulance service, in which residents are charged based on the type of service required.⁷ South Australian residents can purchase ambulance cover through their state ambulance service or a private health insurance policy.⁸ Callout fees range from $1207 for an emergency to $270 for a non-emergency, with a $6.90 charge for each additional km.⁷

Pensioners and concession cardholders

Pensioners are eligible for discounted membership with the SA Ambulance Service (SAAS); otherwise, ambulance cover can be purchased through private health insurance.⁸

In WA, there’s a $1,253 callout fee for emergencies and $673 for non-emergencies in either a metro or country location.¹⁴ You can get ambulance cover through your health insurance provider, or those in regional areas can purchase Country Ambulance Cover through St John.⁹

Pensioners and concession cardholders

WA residents aged 65 years and over who receive a government pension concession are entitled to free emergency ambulance services and non-urgent ambulance services that are deemed medically necessary.²

WA residents aged 65 years and over who don’t receive a pension may still receive a 50% discount on the cost of ambulance services (excluding the transfer between hospitals where one or both are private hospitals).

The Tasmanian state government provides free ambulance services to Tasmanian residents within the state and its islands.¹⁰ The only exceptions to this are ambulance services related to motor vehicle or workplace accidents, where you’ll be required to send the ambulance invoice to the Motor Accidents Insurance Board and your workplace or WorkCover, respectively.

If you need to claim treatment in another state or territory, you can do so by forwarding any invoices you receive, as well as proof of TAS residency, to Ambulance Tasmania.

Pensioners and concession cardholders

The state government covers ambulance services for all Tasmanian residents within the state and its islands who require treatment and transport by ambulance.¹⁰ The Tasmanian state government has reciprocal agreements in most states and territories (except Qld and SA), so Tasmanians can forward ambulance invoices from interstate services to the government for payment.

Exceptions may apply in motor vehicle or workplace accidents where the insurance policies of the agreed parties would cover the cost.

Ambulance services can be covered by a membership with St John Ambulance or private health insurance. St John Ambulance also provides cover for its Territorian members Australia-wide.¹¹ Ambulance charges in the Northern Territory (NT) are based on a callout fee (first 10 kms), which is $1,133 for a life-threatening emergency, $700 for a non-life-threatening emergency and $609 for non-emergency ambulance transport.¹³ There is a $6.50 per additional km fee, regardless of whether it’s an emergency or non-emergency call-out.

Pensioners and concession cardholders

NT residents who hold a current NT Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card or Health Care Card don’t need to subscribe to St John Ambulance NT.²

Unlike other states, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) does not have a state subscription, so if you want ambulance cover, you’ll need to purchase it from a health fund. The callout fee is $1,143 for an emergency, and $816 for a non-emergency, with an additional $15 fee for every km travelled outside the ACT unless you’re a specific concession cardholder or meet ACT Ambulance Service’s exemption criteria.¹² Health Care Concession Card or Pensioner Concession Card holders are entitled to free ambulance services throughout the ACT and don’t require separate ambulance cover.

Fortunately, emergency ambulance cover is included in policies widely available in the ACT.

Pensioners and concession cardholders

Most Health Care Concession Card and Pensioner Concession Cardholders are entitled to free emergency ambulance services within the ACT.2 The ACT also has a reciprocal agreement in place with some states and territories (except for Qld, SA and WA), through which your interstate ambulance services are covered by the ACT Government.¹²

Although pensioners and healthcare concession cardholders are entitled to free ambulance services within the ACT, you may be sent an invoice mistakenly. If this occurs, you should photocopy the front and back of your concession card and return the copy with your ambulance invoice to the address provided.¹² Alternatively, you can contact Shared Services Ambulance Finance.

If you don’t have ambulance cover, you may have to pay out-of-pocket for emergency transport. Depending on the call and where you live, costs range between $464 to over $2,000.

Without ambulance cover, these are some of the potential costs you could pay for transport in the event of an emergency within your state:

There are two types of ambulance cover available through registered health funds: emergency and non-emergency. Both cover types vary depending on your policy and provider. Some contribute towards all ambulance transportation (such as helicopters), while others may only contribute towards road travel.

Depending on the state or territory you live in, many health insurers include ambulance cover as part of their policies. Alternatively, you may be able to take out this cover on its own, although you would miss out on some of the great benefits of health insurance, such as dental cover and private hospital rooms (subject to availability).

Yes, if your state government doesn’t cover ambulance services or you’re not otherwise exempt, it’s worth considering ambulance cover. Depending on the state, ambulance fees can exceed $1,000, which you’ll have to pay out-of-pocket if you don’t have cover.

Please remember to always check with your state/territory ambulance service and your private health fund to ensure you’re covered for ambulance services, as terms and conditions may change over time.