Our private health insurance is costing us a bomb and we're thinking about cancelling it. However, from what we can see online and info from the SA Ambulance Service there's no way to get national ambulance cover unless its part of a private health insurance package. A search on the forum archives returns pretty old discussions and we were wondering how others cover themselves for using ambulance services?
Regards
Dave
Betty Boop said
02:58 PM Dec 30, 2014
Hi Dave, Are you on the age pension? if so I'm sure you are covered nation wide.
Delta18 said
03:08 PM Dec 30, 2014
In WA we can join St John Ambo Service for around $80 a couple if under 65. As Betty said, over 65 coverage is free, coverage is national. Call your local ambulance depot & ask them.
villatranquilla said
04:22 PM Dec 30, 2014
In Victoria Low income health care card holders and Pensioners (not Seniors health card) are covered anywhere in Oz
Plendo said
04:34 PM Dec 30, 2014
Also Ambulance Victoria provide National coverage, they provide the coverage in Victoria, and the local supplier in each of the other states.
Roving-Dutchy said
04:34 PM Dec 30, 2014
Hi Dave
Think very hard before cancelling your health insurance, especially once you are retired, you may never need to use it but not having it removes the option getting treatment in a private hospital unless you can cover all the charges from your own pocket.
Since we retired we have used our private cover at least 6 times for treatment in a private hospital one stay would have cost in excess of $75000 none of this treatment has been for emergencies, but would have entailed long waits to receive entry to the public system, in my case it may have meant my no longer being alive as my cancer was only discovered during surgery, which if I had to have waited for public hospital treatment may have meant that the cancer might have advanced too far.
Also in my Sue's case she was able to be treated by a top surgeon who doesn't operate in the public hospital system.
OK you may never need to use your private health cover but if you do it may make a great difference to the outcome.
Some of our friends that have no private cover have had to wait long periods for treatment in the public system, while being in extreme pain while waiting.
Cheers
David
Big Gorilla said
04:59 PM Dec 30, 2014
In Tassie it's free for all...
Grumpytoo said
07:38 AM Dec 31, 2014
Ambulance cover is not expensive and is a must when travelling. eg - in Tasmania it cost us quite a sum when the free service was revealed only as them treating you at the site. Transport to Hospital was not free and my was wife was transported from Poatina to Launceston Hospital. In Qld my wife was transferred by the RFDS from Weipa to Cairns - free - by ambulance from Cairns Airport to Cairns Hospital was near $900. We had insurance so it was covered. Like any insurance policy it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it as the costs of ambulance transport are very pricey.
Glenn
Bruce and Bev said
10:36 AM Dec 31, 2014
we were forced into early retirement by the company I worked for going bung and we're too young to get an age pension and healthcare card. We couldn't afford to continue paying $200 a fortnight for our health insurance so we now just have ambulance cover through Medibank which costs us about $70 pa
Our private health insurance is costing us a bomb and we're thinking about cancelling it. However, from what we can see online and info from the SA Ambulance Service there's no way to get national ambulance cover unless its part of a private health insurance package. A search on the forum archives returns pretty old discussions and we were wondering how others cover themselves for using ambulance services?
Regards
Dave
In WA we can join St John Ambo Service for around $80 a couple if under 65. As Betty said, over 65 coverage is free, coverage is national. Call your local ambulance depot & ask them.
Also Ambulance Victoria provide National coverage, they provide the coverage in Victoria, and the local supplier in each of the other states.
Think very hard before cancelling your health insurance, especially once you are retired, you may never need to use it but not having it removes the option getting treatment in a private hospital unless you can cover all the charges from your own pocket.
Since we retired we have used our private cover at least 6 times for treatment in a private hospital one stay would have cost in excess of $75000 none of this treatment has been for emergencies, but would have entailed long waits to receive entry to the public system, in my case it may have meant my no longer being alive as my cancer was only discovered during surgery, which if I had to have waited for public hospital treatment may have meant that the cancer might have advanced too far.
Also in my Sue's case she was able to be treated by a top surgeon who doesn't operate in the public hospital system.
OK you may never need to use your private health cover but if you do it may make a great difference to the outcome.
Some of our friends that have no private cover have had to wait long periods for treatment in the public system, while being in extreme pain while waiting.
Cheers
David
In Tassie it's free for all...
Ambulance cover is not expensive and is a must when travelling. eg - in Tasmania it cost us quite a sum when the free service was revealed only as them treating you at the site. Transport to Hospital was not free and my was wife was transported from Poatina to Launceston Hospital. In Qld my wife was transferred by the RFDS from Weipa to Cairns - free - by ambulance from Cairns Airport to Cairns Hospital was near $900. We had insurance so it was covered. Like any insurance policy it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it as the costs of ambulance transport are very pricey.
Glenn