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Hi all,
So Im finally getting round to getting some ambulance cover. Im not interested in anything more than this at the moment mainly because the cost of private health actually outweighs our needs at this point in time. "
So my question is those of you who have ambulance cover, who are you with and/or who would you suggest I look into??
TIA
me again!!! Hi!!!! We have cover with NIB. Whoever you go with check what it actually covers, some don't cover them being at your house just the ride, others don't cover the most outrageous things. Whoever you go with, ask all the questions and make sure all the children, including bub to be are on the cards!
Where with ambulance victoria, its 100% garunteed cover. some PHI's dont have ambulance cover, its inexpensive for peace of mind, if ur not in vic im sure your state has the same sort of thing
Yep, same as skybie. We don't have it through our PHI, but direct with Ambulance Vic.
Ambulance Vic. When I was pregnant with DD it looked like I had to be ambulance to a closer city which would have cost about $5,000.
Luckily, I'd just been finished the waiting period and then got ambulanced to town, flown to Melbourne and then ambulanced to the Womens.
I'd hate to think how much that would have cost if I didn't have cover.
If all you want is ambulance go direct with Ambulance Vic, they recently dropped their prices.
We're direct with Ambulance Victoria as well.
Would you believe that about two weeks after we got the cover my step son got hurt at the library and an ambulance was called? Lol. I got there about 5 mins before the ambulance and when they arrived and checked him over he was ok. They offered a ride in the ambulance to the hospital (so see if stitches were required) and he declined. Can you imagine that? A 9 year old (at the time) declining a trip in an ambulance, hehe. It was great that we didn't have to pay a cent for the ambulance or paramedic check up because of our coverage though :)
Which state are you in? In QLD it is free cover for Queenslanders.
krysalyss, Im in NSW. I was always under the impression that it was covered here, but nope (well it was until recent years).
Ive looked at nib, mbf, medibank and hcf. They all seem to be covering similar things though. Suppose best thing is to spend some time on the phone :/
We have it through our PHI, but there are some conditions on it... Something about only for emergencies... So we decided it was better to be 100% sure that we were covered no matter what the circumstances and have also taken it out with Ambulance Victoria. We just got our renewal and it was only $75 for the year, and that's for a family.
No it isn't, you pay for it as part of your electricity bill:
I was told something similar a few years ago when I had to go to hospital. My Mum had driven me because I didn't have ambulance cover. The nurse at the hospital told us that if I had told the paramedics I felt like I was having trouble breathing, then that would have made it covered under most PHI's. Secondhand info though, so can't comment on how accurate that might be.:
NSW doesn't have an ambulance fund etc like other states, you have to do it through your PHI (well according to the ambulance.nsw.gov.au website):
Cant get it through ambulance vic, as they only cover residents of vic.
Yeah most of them will only cover emergencies, but from what I can tell they all have different definitions of what counts as an emergency. Which I find to be quite strange and sad.
To be honest though emergency as far as ambulance services are concerned doesn't always mean the "oh gods, about to die" that we think it does. The majority of trips where you are subsequently seen by hospital ER would be covered without issue, I think that wording is mainly in there to deter people from using ambulance services in lieu of going to their GP for general illness. Which apparently happens reasonably frequently in Brisbane, at least according to my brother who is a paramedic there.:
I found it interesting that my health fund offers an optional add-on for non-urgent or "elective" ambulance services to cover pre-booked call outs etc - am struggling a bit to see a need for it except maybe for those with long term or chronic medical problems and a lack of alternative options.
I think it'd be a question worth asking when considering different insurers though - what would be classified as non-urgent and how that is decided...
Actually just thinking about it now, my PHI has it as covered 'when medically necessary'. Who knows what that means :dunno:
Also, I'm shocked to hear NSW Ambulance Service doesn't offer you membership like the other states.
WA doesn't do it anymore either - all done through PHI companies.
Not anymore.:
"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."
Was just about to post what Jellyfish said. Of course we pay for it in some way through taxes but is no longer on the electricity bill.
I can only speak for Vic, other states may differ...
Emergency cover, as defined by PHI, means that you are transported to hospital by one of Ambulance Victoria's emergency ambulance's. Many PHI's will not cover you if the ambulance turns up but it is determined that the patient does not require transport to hospital - this is deemed not to be an emergency. Similarly, if you require transport by a non-emergency ambulance (patient transport vehicle) you will not be covered. Non-emerg vehicles are responded for things which are deemed to be non-urgent, such as pre-booked appointments. You might think you won't need non-emerg transport as you have access to private vehicles. Perhaps you will suffer a back injury and suffer chronic pain. You may need transport to hospital initially, by an emergency ambulance. You will be taken to A&E and this will be covered by PHI. The first hospital finds you a bed in a private hospital. You will be transported by a patient transport vehicle (non emerg). The cost of the inter hospital transfer will be covered by the hospital. A week later, you are ready for discharge. You go home in a private vehicle, but two days later you are still in extreme pain and your doctor arranges for you to be re-admitted to the private hospital for further pain management. You can't sit in a car due to your pain. You will be transported back to the private hospital by a non-emerg stretcher vehicle and the cost will be borne by... you.
Currently, the cost of an ambulance attendance in Vic is around $600. If you are not transported and you don't have ambulance cover or complete cover through you PHI (or some unions), you are liable for this cost. Without cover, transport costs a minimum of about $1000. And if you are unlucky enough to require an ambulance in a remote area and need helicopter transport... Thousands and thousands!!
Pension card holders, health care card holders, TAC if a road accident and Workcover if a work accident will all cover the cost of ambulance attendance and/or transport.
Ambulance Vic have just halved the cost of membership. Now is a good time to get covered if you don't have a HCC/pension card.
When you have it all figured out Beansneans make sure you pop back in here and let me know who is the best to go with. I startet looking into this the other day and with DH away I have not got the time to sit on the phone to multiple PHI companies. Your leg work would be very appreciated:)
Will do! :lol::
I havent got round to calling anyone yet, Im still googling them all and getting nowhere. But the plan is to get it all done before the week is out. Although I keep comig up with the excuse that I havent called because the girls wont give me the time to call, but really I dont want them getting all my details then calling me for weeks to come for their commission ;)
Yeah, that is the worst, I was doing the ring around for life insurance for DH and the amount of times they call back after you say no thanks erks me.
MIne is through NIB - I only have ambulance cover - not PHI as such.
IT's $80 for all 4 of us for the year and it's already paid for itself this year with both DH and I have abulance trips this year ($600 for mine and I wasn't even taken to hospital, that was just for them to come out and waiting for DHs Bill)
sunshine, Thats the sort of cover we're looking for. I'll have to gie NIB a call tomorrow and see what they can offer us.
kazzo, I rang HCF this arvo and they have cover for families for $61.85. But then the lady pushed it and tried to sell me added cover, a cash back policy which covers the costs of the hospital visit. But its another $96 on top. Still pretty cheap but I hate it when they try and up sell me, always turns me off the deal. But now Im thinking about it, but I shall keep calling round :)
Thanks for the info Beansbeans and sorry for been rude and not replying earlier. I called a couple of places too and HCF has been the best for us too.
My PHI is exactly what nickel said...ill get around to getting abmo cover...as its dropped.
its all very confusing