Do I need ambulance cover in Australia?

Updated February 2025 | 3 min read
Words by the Health Agenda Team

Knowing if you’re covered for the cost of an ambulance in an emergency can be confusing as each state and territory has different rules. Learn more about how ambulance costs work in Australia, and whether you might need ambulance cover.

If you fall seriously ill or are injured, it’s reassuring to know you can call an ambulance and medical help will be on its way. In an emergency, paramedics can save lives.

In Australia between 2022 and 2023, there were 4.2 million incidents that resulted in a demand for ambulance services. Since 2022, NSW Ambulance alone receives over 4,000 calls every day.

But did you know ambulance call-out fees aren’t covered by Medicare? This can leave you out-of-pocket hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars if you need to be treated by an ambulance service.

In the last financial year (2023-24), HCF paid out a total of $19.5 million in ambulance claims for members across Australia (an average of $907 per member).

Adding to the confusion is the fact there’s no national ambulance provider and the way ambulances are billed differs across our states and territories. In some parts of the country, the state or territory government covers the cost of emergency ambulances, in others you’ll need private health insurance to avoid out-of-pocket costs.

There’s a further level of complexity if you need an ambulance outside of your home state, or the hospital you’re transported to is across a state line.

Here’s a breakdown of how ambulance costs are covered across Australia:

Ambulance cover for NSW and ACT residents

Unless you’re a concession card holder, emergency ambulances aren’t fully covered by the State or Territory government. To avoid out-of-pocket costs, you’ll need private health insurance that includes ambulance cover.

If you have HCF hospital cover, you may be entitled to fully covered State emergency ambulance transport under a levy arrangement.

Ambulance cover for Queensland residents

If you’re a Queensland resident, emergency ambulance services are covered by your State government Australia-wide, so you don’t need ambulance cover.

Ambulance cover for Tasmanian residents

If you’re a Tasmanian resident, you're covered by your State ambulance service scheme for ambulance services within Tasmania. In other States and Territories, the scheme generally covers road ambulance services only across Australia, except in Queensland and South Australia. For services not covered by your State scheme, you’ll need private health insurance that includes ambulance cover to avoid out-of-pocket costs.

Ambulance cover for Victoria, SA, WA and NT residents

If you’re a resident of Victoria, SA, WA or NT, your State or Territory government doesn't cover the cost of ambulances. To avoid out-of-pocket costs, you’ll need either private health insurance that includes ambulance cover or a subscription with your State or Territory ambulance service. There are some exceptions for concession card holders.

When should I call an ambulance?

Ambulance NSW recommends you call 000 for medical emergencies including:

• serious accident or injury
• chest pain, chest tightness or breathing difficulties
• uncontrollable bleeding
• an unexpected collapse or unexplained fall
• serious burns, particularly in young children
• infants who are fitting or have an ongoing fever
• if a person is unconscious or having difficulty breathing.

What about non-emergency ambulance use?

Depending on your cover, benefits may be payable if you call an ambulance for a non-emergency (for example, an illness that can be treated by a GP), but limits may apply. We recommend you check your product summary in online member services or the My Membership app to see if you’re covered. You can also read more about what’s considered an emergency, and what’s included under emergency and non-emergency ambulance cover, in the member guide.

Do I need ambulance cover?

If your State or Territory government doesn’t cover ambulance services, and you don’t already have private health insurance, then standalone ambulance cover could help you avoid unexpected costs.

As with any type of insurance, it’s a good idea to ask questions to make sure you understand what you’re covered for.

The Commonwealth Ombudsman recommends you ask whether your ambulance cover will include:

• interstate travel
• emergency situations only or non-emergencies as well
• different types of ambulance transport, for example air ambulance, state-approved private providers or other private providers
• ambulance treatment where transportation to a hospital isn’t required
• the full fee, or whether you’ll have out-of-pocket costs.

Learn more about HCF ambulance cover

HCF Ambulance Only covers the cost of an emergency ambulance if you need treatment on the spot or while being transported to the nearest hospital. To learn more about whether this cover is right for you, you can chat to our team over the phone, online or at your local branch.

If you're involved in an accident, we'll upgrade all eligible members for free to our Top Hospital Cover for up to 90 days* through Accident Safeguard. Making the unexpected situations in life a little easier to deal with, that's uncommon.