Ambulance cover

Whether you need ambulance cover or not will depend on the state you normally live in. 

Ambulance cover in NSW or ACT
Emergency ambulance services for residents aren’t covered by the State government unless you hold certain government concession cards. 

If you have HCF hospital cover, you may be entitled to fully-covered state emergency ambulance transport under a levy arrangement. If you have standalone HCF extras cover, you may be covered for an emergency ambulance for transport. We recommend checking your policy for more information.

Ambulance cover in Qld
You don’t need separate private health insurance as residents are covered by the State ambulance service scheme Australia-wide.

Ambulance cover in Tas
If you're a resident of Tas, you're covered by your State ambulance service scheme for ambulance services within Tas. In other States and Territories, the scheme generally covers road ambulance services only. It doesn’t cover the cost of ambulance services in Qld and SA.  

You may be able to claim for emergency ambulance services not covered by your State scheme under your HCF hospital or extras cover.    

Ambulance cover in SA, Vic, WA and NT 
If you live in SA, Vic, NT or WA, your State or Territory government doesn’t cover the cost of ambulances. There are some exceptions for concession card holders, otherwise you’ll need either private health insurance, which includes ambulance cover, HCF Ambulance Only cover or an ambulance subscription.

No. This is where hospital cover or ambulance only cover can help fill this gap, covering the full costs of emergency ambulance services to the nearest hospital (except transport from another hospital or medical facility) and for on-the-spot treatment so you can reduce bill shock and get cover for the unexpected. 

Yes, on top of: 

• in-hospital treatments and costs  
• choice of doctor and hospital for your treatment 
• reduced waiting times for elective surgeries 
• cover for a range of medical procedures. 

HCF hospital and extras covers include emergency ambulance services provided by State Government Services if you need emergency ambulance transport to the nearest hospital. It doesn’t cover transport from another hospital or medical facility. 

Compare health insurance at HCF

No. Unlike private hospital cover, ambulance only cover doesn’t help you avoid the Medicare Levy Surcharge or Lifetime Health Cover loading and isn’t claimable as part of your tax return.

To save on tax and avoid paying the Medicare Levy Surcharge, depending on your income level, you’ll need hospital cover.

Learn more about hospital cover

If you don’t have private health insurance or emergency ambulance cover, and find yourself requiring emergency ambulance transportation, you’ll be required to pay the ambulance bill which can exceed $7,000⁺⁺. 

However, from as little as $59.71^## per year, you can get unlimited emergency ambulance transportation to the nearest hospital (except transport from another hospital or medical facility).