Ambulance cover

Ambulance cover helps take care of the cost of paramedic treatment and patient transport in an ambulance. Emergency transportation and ambulance services are essential for urgent medical care, but you might be surprised to learn they aren’t covered by Medicare. Instead, ambulance cover differs across the states and territories, so we’ve broken it down in this guide.

Depending on your state of residence, most ambulance transport services and treatments are covered for pensioners and concession cardholders across the country.

Information about the provisions for pensioners and concession cardholders’ ambulance cover are listed under the relevant states and territories below. Ambulance services for the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) cardholders are covered in every state and territory.²

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

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 call-out fee plus additional charges per kilometre when transported by road, aircraft, helicopter or a combination of these ambulance services. Alternatively, NSW residents can purchase health insurance or stand-alone ambulance cover from a private health insurer to be covered for ambulance transport.

Pensioners and concession cardholders

If you’re a 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 between emergency and non-emergency transport, the mode of transport (e.g. road or air ambulance) and the location of the call out.⁴

You can get ambulance cover through an Ambulance Victoria membership or a registered health fund.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 in QLD extends across the entire country too, so that’s one less thing Sunshine State residents need to worry about when holidaying interstate.

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 and 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.

SA operates on a user-pays ambulance service where residents are charged based on the type of services required.⁷ Residents can purchase ambulance cover through their state ambulance service or a private health insurance policy.⁸

Pensioners and concession cardholders

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

In WA, charges for ambulance services vary depending on whether you’re treated in a metro or country location. You can get ambulance cover through your health insurance provider or WA’s state ambulance service (St John WA).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 a private hospital).

The TAS 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 TAS residents within the state and its islands who require treatment and transport by ambulance.¹⁰ The TAS 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 charges in the NT are based on a call-out fee plus a charge per kilometre. 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

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

If you reside in or close to the nation’s capital, chances are you will need to take out ambulance cover to avoid charges unless you’re a specific concession cardholder or meet ACT Ambulance Services’ exemption criteria.¹² These specified, exempt groups i.e. Health Car Concession Card or Pensioner Concession Card holders are entitled to free ambulance services throughout the ACT and don’t require separate ambulance cover.

If you’re not eligible for free ambulance services, you should consider taking out cover through a registered Australian health fund. Unlike most other states and territories, ACT does not have a state subscription.

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, these are some of the potential costs you could pay for transport in the event of an emergency:

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 this cover out on its own, although you would then miss out on some of the great benefits of health insurance, like dental cover and private hospital rooms (subject to availability).

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.

Absolutely! Unless you live in certain states where ambulance services are covered by the government or otherwise exempt, the alternative could be a very steep bill following a traumatic incident. Given the relatively low cost for cover, purchasing ambulance insurance can be a wise idea.

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.