nib

As the cost of ambulance services in Australia isn’t covered by Medicare¹, you may have to pay a fee² if you need to be transported or treated by ambulance, and you don’t have private health insurance.

Although this fee depends on which State you live in (with some State governments covering the amount²), it can be costly - in fact, health insurer nib found the average emergency ambulance claim amount for their customers in 2016/17 was a hefty $874³.

Having ambulance cover included as part of your private health insurance means you can avoid the fees involved, if you find yourself needing emergency ambulance services.

Who is nib?

nib is one of Australia’s fastest-growing health insurers⁴, providing a range of private health insurance solutions to over 1 million Australian and New Zealand residents⁴.

In addition, nib provides private health insurance to more than 160,000 overseas students and workers in Australia⁴, as well as cover for expats working and travelling internationally.

What ambulance cover options does nib offer?

nib provides emergency ambulance cover as standard* across all its Hospital cover options, as well as all its Extras cover options.

This means if you choose nib Hospital cover (whether as a single, couple, family, single parent family, or overseas student/visitor/worker), you’ll have emergency ambulance cover within Australia included in your policy. This applies to all four of nib’s Hospital cover options⁵:

• Basic Hospital
• Starter Plus Hospital
• Standard Hospital
• Top Hospital

Similarly, if you opt for any one of nib’s Extras options (with or without Hospital cover), ambulance cover will be included as part of your policy. This applies to all four of nib’s Extras cover options:

• Core Extras
• Core Extras Plus
• Core and Wellbeing Extras
• Top Extras

*Residents of Queensland and Tasmania are not covered, as ambulance services in these States are provided by the State Ambulance Scheme.

What am I covered for with nib ambulance cover?

When you take out Hospital or Extras cover with nib, emergency ambulance cover will be included in your policy, regardless of which level of cover you choose.

This means if you need immediate medical attention and can’t be transported in another way due to your condition, you’ll be covered for⁶:

• Emergency ambulance transport to hospital, provided by a State or Territory Ambulance Service paid at 100% of the cost (with no hospital excess applicable for this service if your ambulance cover is part of an nib Extras cover option⁷)
• Emergency ambulance call-out fees (when you receive treatment at the scene but don’t need to be transported to hospital)
• Transport between hospitals when the transfer occurs due to the original hospital not specialising in the required treatment

What isn’t covered by nib ambulance cover?

The following are not covered by nib ambulance cover⁶:

• Private ambulance services
• Queensland and Tasmania residents (ambulance services in these states are provided by the State ambulance scheme)
• Pension and health care card holders who have ambulance services provided by their State ambulance scheme²
• Claims that fall outside of nib’s General Terms⁶
• Transport from the hospital to your home, e.g. if you aren’t able to make your own way home from hospital following treatment

In addition, you may not be covered for:

• Transport between hospitals, unless the treating doctor determines this to be a medical necessity and the transfer is provided by a State or Territory Ambulance service.

What is the waiting period for nib ambulance cover?

The waiting period for nib ambulance cover is 1 day, so you can use your cover almost immediately⁸.

Do I need ambulance cover?

Unless you live in Queensland or Tasmania (where the cost of ambulance services is covered by the State government), or are exempt from paying ambulance fees in your State, you could benefit from taking out ambulance cover - as this means you won’t have to pay the cost of emergency ambulance services.

For example, residents of Victoria may have to pay over $1,234 for emergency road transport and even more for air transport⁹ - so nib ambulance cover in Victoria could prove to be a valuable investment.

How do I take out nib private health insurance?

If you’d like to find out more about purchasing private health insurance - including ambulance cover - with nib, call the iSelect team now on 13 19 20. We can help you compare policies, and choose the cover that’s best for your needs.

Sources:
1. https://www.privatehealth.gov.au/healthinsurance/whatiscovered/medicare.htm
2. https://www.privatehealth.gov.au/healthinsurance/whatiscovered/ambulance.htm
3. https://www.nib.com.au/the-checkup/health-cover/how-much-does-it-cost-for-an-emergency-ambulance-ride
4. https://www.nib.com.au/about-us
5. https://www.nib.com.au/health-insurance/quote/welcome
6. https://www.nib.com.au/docs/policy-booklet
7. https://www.nib.com.au/health-information/going-to-hospital/excess
8. https://www.nib.com.au/health-information/member-services/waiting-periods
9. https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/hospitals-and-health-services/patient-care/ambulance-and-nept/ambulance-fees/