Each state runs a little differently so here’s what you need to know:

  • If you live in TAS, you are covered under your state based scheme for services within your state
  • If you live in QLD, you are covered under your state based scheme for services nationwide
  • For all other states, please check if Urgent Ambulance cover is included in your Hospital or Extras product
  • Concession card holders may have subsidised ambulance services depending on the state in which they live

FAQs about our Urgent Ambulance

With Urgent Ambulance, you will be fully covered for the cost of urgent ambulance services.

The most common urgent ambulance service is a call-out that requires a trip to a hospital emergency department. Emergency or urgent treatment by paramedics at the scene, such as resuscitation, are also considered an urgent ambulance service.

Urgent Ambulance does not cover all ambulance services. These services are not covered: air ambulance services, elective transports such as pre-booked or non-urgent ambulance services, and transfers between hospitals.

There’s a 7-day waiting period before you can claim on Urgent Ambulance.

Yes! No matter where you are in Australia, HBF will fully cover the cost of medically necessary ambulance transport by road to a hospital emergency department. You will also be covered for on-site emergency ambulance treatment.

“Urgent” and “non-urgent” are two of the terms ambulance providers use to indicate how quickly you need an ambulance.

When you call for an ambulance, the operator will use the information you provide to figure out how fast the ambulance needs to get to you. Based on this information, you will be assigned as priority 1 (emergency call), priority 2 (urgent call), or priority 3 (non-urgent call).

HBF Urgent Ambulance will cover you for emergency and urgent ambulance services. It will not cover non-urgent ambulance services, or ambulance transfers between your home and hospital, or between hospitals.

That’s where HBF Ambulance Care steps in—it covers non-urgent ambulance services, as well as transfers.

The cost depends on where you live in Australia. In the Perth metro area, for most people, an urgent ambulance will cost $976, but this isn’t the story in all states.

Some states fully subsidise the cost of ambulance services for everyone, while other states only cover holders of specific concession cards. To find out how it works in your state, check out the government’s guide here.

Medicare does not cover urgent ambulance and other emergency transport, so without the right type of ambulance insurance, in most situations you will cover the full cost out of your own pocket.

With Urgent Ambulance, the cost of any emergency or urgent ambulance transport by road is fully covered.