ahm Ambulance Cover: What You Need to Know

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Why is ambulance cover important?

What type of ambulance cover does ahm offer?

Can I get ambulance-only cover with ahm?

Can I get ahm ambulance cover in my state?

Am I eligible for the Ambulance Levy Exemption?

How do I make an ambulance claim with ahm?

Why choose ahm?

How long has ahm been around?

Want to find complete health coverage with ahm?

Long story short

Without insurance, ambulance costs can be high

An emergency ambulance trip can set you back at least $445 in NSW and $1,171 in SA, making ambulance cover essential for unexpected medical situations.

Coverage for emergency and non-emergency situations

ahm’s health policies include both ambulance cover for emergencies and medically necessary use, depending on which policy you choose.

One-day waiting period

Most ahm policies come with just a one-day waiting period for ambulance cover, so you’ll be covered almost immediately.

State-specific coverage

Ambulance coverage varies from state to state, with QLD and TAS providing some coverage through the state government. For other states, ahm can help fill ambulance coverage gaps.

Why is ambulance cover important? 

Life’s unpredictable, and while we’re thankful for paramedics and quick ambulance response times, the bill afterward can be another unwelcome surprise.  

Since Medicare doesn’t cover emergency ambulance trips, it means, without insurance, you could be forking out at least $445 for a single emergency trip in NSW or up to $1171 in SA.¹Ambulance NSW – Accounts & Fees,²SA Ambulance Service – Fees and charges That’s why it’s worth checking whether your health policy includes ambulance cover. With just a one-day waiting period for most policies, you can have peace of mind knowing you’re covered when it counts.  

It’s also worth looking into your health policy inclusions to see what exactly your state offers, since they all work differently. For those lucky people in QLD and TAS, you’ll get most emergency ambulance trips covered by the state government, while people in other states and territories will have to take out cover themselves.  

What type of ambulance cover does ahm offer? 

ahm want to make sure they’ve got your back for those unexpected moments when you need an ambulance. Across their range of different policies, there’ll be some form of ambulance cover, usually one of the following: 

Can I get ambulance-only cover with ahm? 

While ahm doesn’t offer ambulance cover by itself, they’ll still have you covered through some health insurance policies for emergency or medically necessary situations.  

• Hospital-only cover
  These policies include medically necessary ambulance usage. Some policies limit the number of services available per financial year, so it’s worth double checking.   
• Extras-only cover
  All extras-only policies include emergency ambulance services, with a one day waiting period. Just note that this is for emergencies only, so be sure to check what’s considered an ‘emergency’ in your policy. 
• Combined hospital and extras cover
  These policies come with medically necessary ambulance cover, which also includes emergency use. Some even come with unlimited ambulance trips while others have caps per financial year, so always read the fine print.  

Remember, ambulance cover isn’t the only benefit of these plans. Depending on your policy, you might also have access to private hospital treatment and a range of extras like dental, optical, and physiotherapy. 

Can I get ahm ambulance cover in my state? 

Each state has its own rules for ambulance cover, so knowing how it works where you live is key. For QLD and TAS, you’ll get most emergency ambulance trips covered by your state government. For other states, ahm policies can help bridge the gap in your coverage. All ahm extras policies include unlimited emergency ambulance cover, while hospital policies include all medically necessary trips. You can get either of these with just a one-day waiting period. 

The table below gives you a general answer on whether you can get ahm ambulance cover in your state. If you do want to do a deeper dive, iSelect can help you understand all the ins and outs when it comes to ambulance coverage for your state.  

Am I eligible for the Ambulance Levy Exemption? 

In ACT, if you have private hospital cover, emergency ambulance trips are covered by a government levy of about $3.04 per person per week, which is included in your cover. ³ACT Revenue Office – Ambulance levy

Only pensioners and Concession Card holders can avoid this levy. That means that if you live in these states and hold one of these listed concessions cards, you’ll be able to get a lower health insurance premium. Just make sure everyone on your policy is listed on your concession card to qualify.  

• Health Care Concession Card
• Pensioner Concession Card
• Pharmaceutical Benefits Concession Card
• Department of Veteran’s Affairs (DVA) concession card
• Commonwealth Seniors’ Health Care Card (NSW only)
• Ex-Carer Allowance (Child) Health Care Card
• Foster Child Health Care Card
• Low Income Health Care Card 

How do I make an ambulance claim with ahm? 

Making an ambulance claim with ahm is simple: you follow the same process as if you were claiming for a dentist or psych appointment. All you need to do is log into your account (online or on the app) and upload your invoice. Then the ahm team will have a look at everything, including your level of cover, and within five working days, your claim should be processed.  

Why choose ahm? 

Looking for reasons to take out health insurance with ahm? Here are a few. 

No ambulance excess 

When you need an ambulance, the last thing you want to worry about is paying excess fees. ahm doesn’t want to add to your stress by adding another cost on top of everything else, so if you have coverage for medically necessary transport, there’s no excess for ambulance callouts.  

Mix and match your cover options 

If you want cover for emergency ambulance trips, but you also want to add some dental work, and maybe some physio sessions on top of that, ahm can help. They offer a range of policy options, so whether you want just the basics or the whole kit and kaboodle, you can find a balance between cost and coverage. 

Get more from your policy 

Have you chosen optical or dental to bundle alongside your ambulance coverage? ahm could give you even more bang for your buck with up to 100% back on your annual optical limits and up to two dental check-ups per financial year.  

How long has ahm been around? 

With more than 40 years of experience, ahm is the insurer Australians come to for simple and trustworthy health coverage.  

More than 950,000 members rely on ahm for hospital and extras health insurance (that’s more than double the population of the ACT).⁴ ahm – About us This isn’t just because ahm is part of Medibank – also, customers know they’re in safe hands with an insurer that can simplify the mumbo jumbo of health policies.  

Want to find complete health coverage with ahm? 

Understanding the ins and outs of ambulance insurance can be overwhelming, luckily iSelect’s health comparison experts are here to simplify all the technical terms for you. Compare a range of policies side by side and select one that meets your needs. Start comparing health insurance online today or call our comparison experts on 1800 784 772.