Ambulance isn't covered by Medicare or by most state governments. However, it's covered in most health insurance policies, or standalone from as little as $2
a week.
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Step 1/2 - About your cover
Which state do you live in?
QLD
NSW
ACT
VIC
TAS
SA
WA
NT
What's your age?
Depending on your age, you may be eligible for an
aged-based discount. This is used to estimate your
rebate.
Under 65
65 - 69
70 or older
What's your household's taxable income?
This is the combined income you and your spouse earn before tax. It's needed to calculate the correct Australian government rebate.
$93,000 and under
$93,001 to $108,000
$108,001 to $144,000
$144,001 and over
What kind of health insurance do you need?
Combined (Extras + Hospitals)
Extras
Hospital
What level of hospital coverage would you like?
You can change this at any time later.
Legend
Covered
Restricted cover, You may be partially covered for
this category.
Not covered. Optional for insurer to include.
*Prices updated November 2024, in line with Finder's database of health insurance policies. Prices reflect the cheapest available for a single individual with less than $97,000 income and living in Sydney with a $750 excess.
What extras cover do you need? (Optional)
Select as many as you want or move to the next step
Preventative & general dental
Major dental & implants
Optical
Physiotherapy
Podiatry
Non-PBS pharmaceuticals
Chiropractic
Emergency ambulance
Remedial massage
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Ambulance cover comes with most hospital or extras policies, or standalone from $1 a week*.
*Prices are based on a single person living in Sydney earning less than $97,000 a year.
How ambulance insurance works
Ambulance services aren't covered by Medicare, and only Queensland and Tasmania offer state government coverage for ambulance costs. That means an emergency ambulance trip can end up costing hundreds or thousands of dollars if you don't have private health insurance. Luckily, there are a few ways to get covered for these costs.
Private ambulance cover
Ambulance cover is a type of private health insurance that reimburses you for using an ambulance to receive emergency medical treatment. Some ambulance cover just includes emergency transport to your nearest hospital, while other policies cover a range of ambulance services, including transfer between hospitals. You'll also find ambulance coverage included in most (but not all) extras policies, as well as with some hospital-only policies. Ambulance cover is also available as a standalone policy and costs for this can be as small as $2 per week. Check the product disclosure statement (PDS) of your policy to make sure you're covered for what's important to you.
State ambulance cover
Ambulance services aren't covered by Medicare, and Queensland and Tasmania are the only 2 states that provide some coverage of ambulance costs for residents. Queensland residents will have their ambulance costs covered nation-wide, while Tasmanian residents will have their costs covered within Tasmania only. Note that you do have to be a resident of Tasmania or Queensland to be covered – non-residents aren't eligible. Some states (other than TAS and QLD) do offer free ambulance services for specific groups, like pensioners or Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) gold-card holders.
Ambulance subscription
Some state ambulance services offer a separate subscription service. These subscriptions typically cover the cost of ambulance transport in your state, and will sometimes cover you nation-wide. For example, a Northern Territory St John subscription will cover you for St John ambulance services in the NT, and also for ambulance fees across the country.
Compare ambulance insurance policies
All prices are based on a single individual with an income of less than $97,000, living in Sydney, NSW. It's likely to cost you even less in other states including South Australia and Victoria.
Each month we analyse over 10,000 extras insurance products and rate each one on price and features. What we end up with is a nice round number out of 10 that helps you compare extras cover a bit faster.
We want to compare apples to apples, not apples to apple pie. It doesn't make sense to compare a top extras policy with coverage for hearing aids and braces against a policy designed only for dental. So we've separated all the extras policies on the market into pools and categories. Once in their pools and categories, each product gets a price score and a features score, which are then combined to give the Final Score.
No, Medicare does not cover ambulance services – the idea that it does is a common misconception among Australians. Unless you are a resident of Queensland or Tasmania or have private health insurance, you could be facing big ambulance call-out costs.
"No one plans for an emergency hospital visit when on a family holiday. When my back went into violent spasms while in regional Victoria, we had no choice but to call an ambulance. It was less than a 5-minute ride to the nearest hospital. I was left stunned when, a month later, a bill for more than $1,800 arrived in my letterbox. Who has that kind of cash lying about? Thankfully, I had private health insurance and it was fully covered. I didn't have to pay a dollar."
Nearly 1 in 3 Australians wrongly believe ambulances are free under Medicare, and 30% – the equivalent of 5.7 million people – think that ambulance costs are wholly subsidised by the government. Meanwhile, almost 1 in 10 (8%) have caught public transport because they didn't want to pay for an ambulance.
New South Wales residents have to pay an emergency ambulance call-out fee of $445 plus an additional $4.02 for every kilometre travelled. You are charged 51% of the total emergency ambulance service charge, with the government covering the rest.
Cost of an ambulance in New South Wales
Service
Call-out fee
Cost per km
Max charge
Road ambulance emergency
$445
$4.02
$7,299
Road ambulance non-emergency
$351
$2.17
$7,299
Fixed wing emergency
$445
$4.02
$7,299
For helicopter emergency
$445
$4.02
$7,299
NSW Government: NSW Ambulance – Accounts & Fees, July 2024
Ambulance cover QLD
The Queensland Government covers the cost of emergency ambulance services in Queensland and around the country. In order to be covered under the Community Ambulance Cover scheme, you'll need to be prove you live in Queensland.
Ambulance cover ACT
Emergency ambulance services can cost $1,107 in the ACT if you are transported and treated. Residents who hold a Pensioner Concession Card or Health Care Card are entitled to free emergency ambulance services within the ACT. When travelling interstate, though, there is no cover available if you're travelling in Queensland, South Australia or Western Australia.
Cost of an ambulance in the ACT
Service
Call-out fee
Cost per km outside the ACT
Emergency ambulance service (treatment and transport)
$1,107
$14
Emergency ambulance service (treatment but no transport)
$767
N/A
ACT government ambulance service fees, July 2024
Ambulance cover VIC
You will have to pay $1,396 for an ambulance trip in the city and $2,059 if you're in a regional or rural area. Victorians can buy ambulance cover through membership with Ambulance Victoria which provides a 1-year membership for $53.37. If you hold a concession card, you can get clinically necessary ambulance cover for free. Otherwise, you have the option of taking out ambulance cover through your private health fund.
Cost of an ambulance in Victoria
Service
Call-out fee
Emergency road - metropolitan
$1,396
Emergency road - regional and rural
$2,059
Non-emergency stretcher - metropolitan
$377
Non-emergency stretcher - regional and rural
$637
Treatment without transport
$602
Ambulance Victoria fee schedule 2024-25, July 2024
Ambulance cover Tasmania
Residents of Tasmania are eligible for free ambulance services within the state, paid for by the state government. However, this doesn't cover you interstate. If you live in Tasmania but want coverage for ambulance services in another states, you'll need to take out a private health insurance policy that covers ambulance.
Ambulance cover SA
An emergency ambulance call-out in South Australia will cost $1171. South Australian residents can purchase a subscription with the South Australian Ambulance Service. Prices start at $99.50 for 1 person. You can also get Australia-wide (interstate) ambulance cover for $117.50. There are pension rates available for holders of an SA Pension concession card. The rate starts at $59.50 for a single pensioner.
Alternatively, a health insurance policy that includes ambulance services may be better value for money as you can also get covered for other medical treatment, not just ambulance services.
Cost of an ambulance in SA
Category
Fee
Emergency call-out
$1,171
Non-emergency call-out
$262
Treatment, no transport (flat rate)
$262
Plus kilometre charges
$6.70
SAAS Fees and charges, July 2024
Ambulance cover WA
Western Australian residents can expect to pay $1,133 for emergency ambulance treatment unless they have health insurance. Western Australian residents who are over the age of 65 and are receiving an Australian government pension are entitled to free ambulance services. This includes emergency ambulance services and medically necessary non-urgent ambulance services. If you're over 65 but you don't receive a government pension, you are still entitled to 50% off the cost of ambulance services.
Country Ambulance Cover is available with St John Ambulance Cover WA. Prices start at $64 for a single person if you live south of the 26th parallel and $85 for those north of the 26th parallel. In Perth, St John Ambulance operates a "user pays" system, so you need private health insurance if you don't want to pay for ambulance services.
Cost of an ambulance in Western Australia
Service
Fee
Life threatening
$1,133
Urgent
$1,133
Non-urgent
$609
Patient transfer vehicle
$609
St John Ambulance WA transport charges, July 2024
Ambulance cover NT
The cost of emergency ambulance transportation is $897. St John operates ambulance services in the Northern Territory but you will need a subscription to St John or you'll need private ambulance insurance to cover costs. Subscriptions costs begin at $121 for an individual and $143 for a family.
Family ambulance cover
There are a few ways you can get family ambulance cover. Here's a brief breakdown for each state.
State
Ways to get ambulance cover
Family ambulance cover NSW
If you want cover for the family, you'll need to get family hospital or extras coverage. In NSW, emergency ambulance service is included with hospital policies.
Family ambulance cover VIC
A 1-year family membership with Ambulance Victoria is $106.73. Cover is also available with extras cover for families.
Family ambulance QLD
Free to all residents.
Family ambulance SA
It's $198 and $233.75 to include interstate travel for SA Ambulance Cover. Alternatively, you can buy ambulance cover through private health insurance.
Family ambulance WA
Ambulance cover is available with St John Ambulance south of the 26th parallel for $107 and north of the 26th parallel for $141. It's also available with private health insurance extras cover.
Family ambulance TAS
Free to all residents.
Family ambulance ACT
You will need private health insurance that covers your family.
Family ambulance NT
A St John Ambulance cover NT subscription is available for $143 per year. You can also get family cover with a private health fund.
Prices checked June 2024
What's the cheapest way to get ambulance cover?
Standalone ambulance cover is generally the cheapest way to get covered. However, it's not necessarily the best value for money. For instance, a standalone ambulance cover policy is likely to cost you between $65 and $110 a year depending on the state you live in but this covers you for emergency ambulances only. You can get the same service with extras cover for around $208, but you'll also get routine dental, physiotherapy, chiropractic cover and more included.
How do waiting periods work for ambulance cover?
In some cases, there's a 1 day waiting period. In other, you won't have to serve a waiting period for emergency ambulance services at all.
Waiting periods generally only apply to in hospital or extras treatments that you can anticipate needing – for example, a hip replacement. You may have to serve a 1- or 2-month waiting period for non-emergency ambulance services. This is to ensure you access cover only when you need it.
Frequently asked questions
No, Medicare does not cover ambulance services. Generally, you're going to need private ambulance cover to be covered for ambulance services. If you're a resident of Queensland or Tasmania, then your state government may cover some of the costs.
As of November 2024, Bupa offers one of the cheapest ambulance only policies at $0.91 per week. However, that figure is based on a single person earning less than $97,000, living in NSW. Your own quote will differ based on your location and income.
No. The patient who receives treatment or transportation from an ambulance service will receive the bill.
Ambulance costs vary between states and territories. You can view the different costs here.
Yes, you might be entitled to free ambulance cover if you who hold a:
Department of Veterans Affairs Repatriation Health Card, also known as a Gold Card (excluding non-emergency ambulance services)
Department of Veterans Affairs Repatriation Health Card, also known as a White Card (only for services relating to a specific condition that is funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs)
No. An ambulance only policy will not be enough for you to avoid the MLS. You'll need a hospital health insurance policy for this.
Was this content helpful to you?
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To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Angus Kidman as part of our fact-checking process.
Gary Ross Hunter was an editor at Finder, specialising in insurance. He’s been writing about life, travel, home, car, pet and health insurance for over 6 years and regularly appears as an insurance expert in publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and news.com.au. Gary holds a Kaplan Tier 2 General Advice General Insurance certification which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). See full bio
Gary Ross's expertise
Gary Ross has written 648 Finder guides across topics including:
What is the LHC loading, the MLS and the Private Health Rebate? These terms could make the difference between whether or not you can afford your private health premiums in the future.
Learn how to get cheap health insurance and what you can expect for your money.
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Depending on your age, you may be eligible for an
aged-based discount. This is used to estimate your
rebate.
Under 65
65 - 69
70 or older
What's your household's taxable income?
This is the combined income you and your spouse earn before tax. It's needed to calculate the correct Australian government rebate.
$93,000 and under
$93,001 to $108,000
$108,001 to $144,000
$144,001 and over
What kind of health insurance do you need?
Combined (Extras + Hospitals)
Extras
Hospital
What level of hospital coverage would you like?
You can change this at any time later.
Legend
Covered
Restricted cover, You may be partially covered for
this category.
Not covered. Optional for insurer to include.
*Prices updated March 2024, in line with Finder's
database of health insurance policies. Prices are based
on a single individual with less than $93,000 income and
living in Sydney with a $750 excess.
What extras cover do you need? (Optional)
Select as many as you want or move to the next step
Preventative & general dental
Major dental & implants
Optical
Physiotherapy
Podiatry
Non-PBS pharmaceuticals
Chiropractic
Emergency ambulance
Remedial massage
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