Nation-wide ambulance insurance cover

[Martin B]

HELP

We are W.A. residents (when home !) with fairly comprehensive hospital and ancillary benefits (with Victorian company GMHBA) and are fully covered for ambulance services when within WA.
Unfortunately whilst passing thru S.A. in November we needed and ambulance trip to hospital in Elizabeth for which we received a bill today for $950+ for a short 8km journey.
Now the problem - each State has a different setup for ambulance services with respect to Hospital Benefits/Health Insurance and, as far as we have been able to ascertain, no hospital benefits company will provide ambulance cover outside of their State.

Can not see the sense/value in taking out individual State "ambo" cover as we will be in NSW for about 10 days only en-route to the Maryborough Rally and in NT for about 2 weeks en-route to Kununurra (WA)

Do any of the experienced multi-state traveling RVers know where one can get nation-wide ambulance cover at a reasonable cost please.

Cheers from Martin B
currently in Launceston, Tas.
mcbunny09@gmail.com or mobile 0428 321 332

[Chuck]

Good question Martin.

Hopefully someone will come along with an equally good answer.

[BruceS]

Do NOT pay it ... yet!
I'm almost certain Ambulance cover is Aussie wide.

Martin in SA you really need seperate Ambulance cover & hospital cover.
It also pays to have the 'cheap' Red Cross cover as a lot of transfers/travel in SA is done by Red Cross if it is not deemed an emergency trip where medical attention is needed while travelling.
Was your case an emergency callout?
I've been right through this. (painfully)
The person in the ambulance gets to decide if it's an emergency or not at the scene & he can be persuaded!!!
I presently have in front of me a single person's Ambulance renewal.
(Mother's)
Pensioner = yes
Concession = yes
cost = $43.50
On the reverse it states...
"Cover is intended for permanent residents within SA. Non-SA residents may join Ambulance Cover at the descetion of SA Ambulance Service."

[BruceS]

And on website...

The cost of an emergency ambulance is generally around $600 - $800. If you are covered with SA Ambulance Service, you won’t have to pay a cent if:

■the service is provided by SAAS, or
■the ambulance transport originates in another State or Territory and is provided by a recognised Interstate ambulance service, or
for a transport service originating in South Australia, if:

■SAAS directs or requests another person to provide non-emergency ambulance services, or
■after a request by the subscriber, SAAS, at its sole discretion, agrees in writing prior to the transport date that another person may provide the service, and that person is recognised under Part 6 of the Health Care Act 2008 (SA).

Are you certain your state's cover won't cover it?

[Dot]

George just rang our health provider AHM and we are covered Australia wide for any medical reason. Transport by air sea or road so I also say NO PAY any time soon.

[Wilbor]

We are with AHM too but I am just about to cancel it due to cost. In Qld ambulance services is provided at no cost

from the QAS website

On 1 July 2011 the levy, paid through electricity accounts, which supported the Community Ambulance Cover (CAC) was abolished.

The Community Ambulance Cover legislation is still in place and will continue to provide all Queensland residents with free authorised ambulance services throughout Australia.

See, that's why we pay so much for rego up here

[JohnRV]

This site might be of interest to Victorians

http://www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/Members ... sport.html

[norman]

Nobody picked it is you first post Martin. So welcome aboard and ask away you,ll get some answers to your questions..

[Craig]

We are with Navy Health Benefit society (NHBS) and they are Aus wide.

[BruceQ]

I know an instance where an Ambulance was needed by a QLDer while in NSW. The NSW ambulance sent an invoice and the QLDer sent the invoice to the QLD ambulance and the QLD Ambulance paid the NSW Ambulance.

Seems like a lot of paperwork ....