Ambulance cover

[Mowdit]

Had reason to call an ambulance last week.

Have you ever looked at the costs ?

Am now looking for family cover as one years cover for a family is less than a single call out, and some services (Vic ambulance) offer discounts for multiple years purchased.

Food for thought

State ambulance schemes

QLD & TAS

Ambulance cover is not available to residents of these states as they are covered by state schemes.
Bonus, as a resident in these states, and covered Australia wide, good to know


NSW & ACT

Residents with private hospital cover don’t need ambulance cover; it's already funded by a levy on your private health cover premium. If you have a Commonwealth concession card, you are entitled to free ambulance services.
Otherwise it is some $375 call out & $3.95 per kilometre, no Medicare rebate at all


WA

We don’t pay benefits if you’re aged 65 or over and are eligible for free ambulance services. If you’re eligible for subsidised services, you may be able to claim the remaining cost from Medibank. A $100 co-payment applies to non-emergency transport as classified by the ambulance service.

Vic
Minimum call out cost is $1,145 ...........

Some states include the cost of treatment in the call out fee, others do not state if there is an additional charge.

*NOTE, do not assume that your health fund cover you !
most have a clause: ambulance cover in a life threatening event.
A broken leg or dehydration from food poisoning are not considered "life threatening"

Food for thought all

My partner had surgery two days prior, she was only released from hospital for an hour and had "complications", am grateful for the efforts of all involved and she has since continue to recover. Thanks

[Mowdit]

Just to clarify, as far as I know.....

In the case of motor vehicle accidents,
Ambulance fee's are most often covered by the respective states compulsory insurance (when the accident is on a state defined road), aka NSW green slip or Vic TAC (transport Accident Commission)
Am referring to private situations.

[Godzilla73]

Yep wouldn't be without it, to many horror stories out there. $87 per year for family cover in Vic covers you Oz wide, my little bloke had his tonsils out 2 weeks later coughing up blood back to the RCH all covered.

Another mate without it sliced his foot open bad up on the Murray, $8500 chopper ride to the Alfred...

[Charliewool]

Another thing to be aware of is, if in private healthcare which most include ambo cover.. That ALL those covers are for full hospital admission only!
If you're having a "heart attack", ambo takes you to hospital but it's only anxiety attack, and no admission.. YOU pay.
If you break your leg mowing the lawn and ambo, or worse, Air ambo takes you to hospital, xrayed, put in cast, no admission and sent home.. YOU pay!
For such a small yearly subscription (in Vic) you'd be crazy to notbe a member!

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by Mowdit

Just to clarify, as far as I know.....

In the case of motor vehicle accidents,
Ambulance fee's are most often covered by the respective states compulsory insurance (when the accident is on a state defined road), aka NSW green slip or Vic TAC (transport Accident Commission)
Am referring to private situations.

Correct, the service claims against the CTP.

[xisled]

If you have a Centrelink concession card you are covered for ambulance in Victoria.

Had an ambulance come to my house for me a few years ago. I didn't need to be transported, but the bill was around $320.00

[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by xisled

If you have a Centrelink concession card you are covered for ambulance in Victoria.

Had an ambulance come to my house for me a few years ago. I didn't need to be transported, but the bill was around $320.00

Same in nsw and some grubs use it like a free taxi service

[Mowdit]

For such a regulated service that is often a "hot topic" for GovCo,
I can't believe how much difference there is between the states and territories

I was once a member in Vic, it lapsed.

Can't seem to find cover without going thru a Health Fund (rip off) package in NSW ?

[xurbanx]

Went without it for a few years then smartened up and bought it - I regard it as one of those must have things.

A friend of the missus had a bad accident at Phillip Island a few years back, serious enough to warrant a chopper back to the Alfred, unfortunately didn't have ambulance cover - cost them quite a bit

[mcflux]

Originally Posted by The Yeti

Same in nsw and some grubs use it like a free taxi service

Out of interest, where else would an ambo take you to, other than a hospital?

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Hope everything is ok with SWMBO, Mowdit.

We've always had Ambulance cover, but not health insurance. I understand that any insurance is a risk/reward balancing act, but for the price, it really is a good investment, IMHO.

I broke my foot in a PWC incident back in 1998, whilst jumping waves in the surf at Lakes Entrance. I was transported from Lakes Entrance to the nearest hospital at Bairnsdale (around 40kms away) for x-rays and assessment and then on to Traralgon hospital (around 120km away) for surgery (I broke the 4 minor metatarsals and dislocated the joint between the metatarsals and the tarsal).

As you could imagine, this was a pretty stressful time for my wife and the last thing we needed was to be worrying about was how to pay for the ambulance fee. I have no idea as to how much that bill would have been as I never saw it, but expect it to have been quite expensive. With the ambulance cover, the cost never ever entered my mind.

We now purchase a 5 year family cover, not so much for any discount but just because we then don't even have to think about it that regularly. Ambulance Victoria even do the right thing by us and send out a reminder whenever the coverage is due again.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Mowdit

For such a regulated service that is often a "hot topic" for GovCo,
I can't believe how much difference there is between the states and territories

I was once a member in Vic, it lapsed.

Can't seem to find cover without going thru a Health Fund (rip off) package in NSW ?

If you're in NSW HCF do Ambulance cover.

Mine costs about $90 a year, not really a ripoff

https://www.hcf.com.au/insurance/hea...ambulance-only

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by Ghia5L

Out of interest, where else would an ambo take you to, other than a hospital?

Near where my Wife grew up in the country is a mission for the type who've been here longer than Captain Cook, the local volunteer ambulance service was constantly going out there to bring in drunks with chest pains.
It is a 40k round trip.

When they got them to hospital they made a miraculous recovery and soon after could be found at the local pub.

True story.

[BENT_8]

When i had a blood clot in my lung i was driven to hospital. Unfortunately as it was just a small country hospital they didnt have the resources to treat me.
The Dr said i'd need to be airlifted to Adelaide asap.

I freaked out thinking it would cost a fortune but it was explained to me that if the hospital you present to cant treat your illness a transfer is free no matter how expensive.
Certainly better than a 2 hour road trip when you cant breath.

Mind you, we should just get bloody ambulance cover.

[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by Ghia5L

Out of interest, where else would an ambo take you to, other than a hospital?

thats all, but most hospitals are in the in town so they call 000 get a run to hospital then **** off to the shops / pub etc

[davenl5l]

In sa it's under $100 for the wife and i . We had 2 helicopter flights and a ambulance run to adelaide (230 klms) all covered . Private health doesn't cover all situations on some covers so check the fine print

[tranquilized]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

When i had a blood clot in my lung i was driven to hospital. Unfortunately as it was just a small country hospital they didnt have the resources to treat me.
The Dr said i'd need to be airlifted to Adelaide asap.

I freaked out thinking it would cost a fortune but it was explained to me that if the hospital you present to cant treat your illness a transfer is free no matter how expensive.
Certainly better than a 2 hour road trip when you cant breath.

Mind you, we should just get bloody ambulance cover.

Not sure if that's the case any more. A few months back our little one was quite sick so as a precaution we took him into the local hospital. They decided he should be sent up to Bendigo for observation and before we even knew what was going on the paramedics arrived to take him and my partner to Bendigo Hospital - 30 minutes away.

Anyway, just yesterday we get a letter addressed to "The Guardian of (sons name) containing a tax invoice from Ambulance Victoria for $1690.00 for the trip.

Pretty glad we took out ambulance cover a year ago! and to think I went more than a decade without it...

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by tranquilized

Not sure if that's the case any more. A few months back our little one was quite sick so as a precaution we took him into the local hospital. They decided he should be sent up to Bendigo for observation and before we even knew what was going on the paramedics arrived to take him and my partner to Bendigo Hospital - 30 minutes away.

Anyway, just yesterday we get a letter addressed to "The Guardian of (sons name) containing a tax invoice from Ambulance Victoria for $1690.00 for the trip.

Pretty glad we took out ambulance cover a year ago! and to think I went more than a decade without it...

It depends on the state, in QLD the bill goes to QLD Health for hospital transfers.

[Trevor 57]

Let me give you a few facts!

Private medical insurance does NOT cover you for ambulance if you are in a private hospital. (example 1 - my personal experience)

Public hospitals get money from Government hospitals to cover ambulance costs, but only if you are an 'inpatient' (a person in emergency is NOT an inpatient, example 2 son's experience, with no ambulance or private health insurance, $3500 bill)

Do NOT under any circumstances believe that your private health insurance covers ALL ambulance trips, it does NOT, do some research

I had top private health insurance (not ambulance member), but told by insurer we had 'ambulance cover', I needed to get transported from a private hospital to a public hospital, nec minnit $2200 ambulance bill, no biggie passed it on to ambulance, they said contact health insurance provider, health insurance provider said 'no', private to public not covered, nec minnit Trev has a bill he received while unconscious on life support - luckily private hospital coughed up

We now have private health insurance AND ambulance cover - $80+ a year is no biggie, plus Aus wide cover

[mike_nofx]

How often are people needing ambulance rides to be freaking over a $3-400 ambo bill? Maybe when you hit 65-70 and may require regular use of one, but for anyone under that isnt it just worth paying for the service if and when its ever needed?

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by mike_nofx

How often are people needing ambulance rides to be freaking over a $3-400 ambo bill? Maybe when you hit 65-70 and may require regular use of one, but for anyone under that isnt it just worth paying for the service if and when its ever needed?

According to the figures in the OP, $3-400 wouldn't get you very far.

It's an insurance policy, like saying why pay for comprehensive car insurance every year when you could just pay for any accident you have.

I haven't had an accident for >40 years, but I still have full comp insurance.

[The Yeti]

Look at it this way you and your girlfriend are away for the weekend in a rural area, total your car and both need transporting to hospital but not just country base hospital you need to go to the city

Enter a VERY BIG AMBULANCE BILL

[sprintman1]

Haven't paid a cent for ambulance in the ACT with no private insurance and wife required it several times.

[chich]

Personally, I believe ambulance cover should be compulsory for everyone. It's $90 annually for a family so there's no excuses, especially considering you could potentially be up for $9K+ in the event you need the chopper.

Almost got caught out a few years ago when the wife's waters broke prematurely and two bills (was transported twice) turn up for almost $2K. Our health insurance declined to pay because she was transported from work, not home, however in the end the hospitals covered the bills because she was an in patient and transferred between hospitals. The irony here is that I called our health insurance to check we were covered in all instances, twice, and was assured both times there was no need to have separate cover. Now I just organise cover 3yrs at a time..

[xisled]

Originally Posted by mike_nofx

How often are people needing ambulance rides to be freaking over a $3-400 ambo bill? Maybe when you hit 65-70 and may require regular use of one, but for anyone under that isnt it just worth paying for the service if and when its ever needed?

In Victoria if an ambulance attends and does not transport anyone the bill is between $300 to $400 dollars.

So if you he transported your looking at much much more.

Let me ask you this, do you pay insurance on your car or home and are you happy to pay that even though you may not make a claim ever.

It's the same thing as car insurance you pay cover to reduce your liability just in case something happens.

[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by chich

Personally, I believe ambulance cover should be compulsory for everyone. It's $90 annually for a family so there's no excuses, especially considering you could potentially be up for $9K+ in the event you need the chopper.

Almost got caught out a few years ago when the wife's waters broke prematurely and two bills (was transported twice) turn up for almost $2K. Our health insurance declined to pay because she was transported from work, not home, however in the end the hospitals covered the bills because she was an in patient and transferred between hospitals. The irony here is that I called our health insurance to check we were covered in all instances, twice, and was assured both times there was no need to have separate cover. Now I just organise cover 3yrs at a time..

And this as a result would make it cheaper, but I can't see it happening

[nstg8a]

Given the amount of taxes people pay this should really be fully funded by the govt.

However since it is not, each individual certainly needs to look at their own lifestyle to determine whether or not insurance is required.

[DoubleTrouble]

Originally Posted by mike_nofx

How often are people needing ambulance rides to be freaking over a $3-400 ambo bill? Maybe when you hit 65-70 and may require regular use of one, but for anyone under that isnt it just worth paying for the service if and when its ever needed?

I'd wish it was was that figure you quoted, imagine if you in rural or outback areas & you need ambulance, hate to imagine the costs for road or air ambulance in these situations.

[LoudPipes]

Originally Posted by The Yeti

thats all, but most hospitals are in the in town so they call 000 get a run to hospital then **** off to the shops / pub etc

In NSW the Ambulance Officers stay with you until you are allocated a bed than you have to wait until you are handed over to a Doctor.

This is followed by an examination then in most cases test.

Because of duty of care many patience arriving by ambulance who don't show a problem will normally at the very least stay the night for monitoring.

Seems a silly service/procedure to use or go through just to go to the shops.

I know ambulances are often called for reasons that are not a true emergency and that is why the operator will talk you through the problem before they request one for you.

Originally Posted by Trevor 57

Let me give you a few facts!

Private medical insurance does NOT cover you for ambulance if you are in a private hospital. (example 1 - my personal experience)

My Private Health Fund includes Ambulance as part of the top cover.

We’ve used the service 4 times in 2 years because of my wife’s stroke and heart problems.

On 2 occasions she was taken to the Private Hospital and on 2 others to a Public Hospital, it depends on who can accept you at the time.

After being stabilised at the Public Hospitals she was transferred by Ambulance to the Private Hospital (which could be a day or two later) and in all cases there was no charge to us as it was all covered by our health fund.

[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by nstg8a

Given the amount of taxes people pay this should really be fully funded by the govt.

However since it is not, each individual certainly needs to look at their own lifestyle to determine whether or not insurance is required.

It is largely funded by the government but not completely,

Just like in most states the fire brigade is funded by the government and insurgence cos

You couldn't afford it if it was completely user pays