Research from Compare the Market reveals Australian ambulance fees rank second-highest in the world out of seven major nations including the United Kingdom, Japan, the United States, and Canada.
The average cost of an ambulance is A$915.25, with a $/km average charge of $6.07, in addition to call-out costs based on emergency and non-emergency rates in each state and territory.
Medicare does not cover ambulance journeys in Australia as a result of rules and fee variances.
Tasmania has the highest cost at $1,692.23, plus $877.29 for the first 15 kilometres, and then $7.06 for every kilometre after that.
Victorian fees are separated by rural and metro callouts with the next highest fees for emergency ambulance care in the country.
A rural Victorian emergency ambulance trip costs $2,059.00, while a metro emergency costs $1,936.00.
While Tasmania’s base price is cheaper than Victoria’s, the additional per kilometre charge makes Tasmania the most expensive overall.
Queensland has the next highest emergency fee at $1,459.09 – though this only applies to non-Queensland residents visiting the state, as Queenslanders have ambulance costs covered completely by the State Government.
While ambulances are not free, most private health funds in Australia offer ambulance cover.
“Private ambulance cover or ambulance subscription services are a lot more affordable than the cost of actually getting emergency medical care and transportation,” said Compare the Market’s Executive General Manager of Health, Life & Energy, Steven Spicer.
“Also, the waiting periods for ambulance cover – which can be held on its own or as a part of a more extensive private health policy – are typically quite short, so you may be able to start using it in as little as one day after taking out cover, depending on the policy.”
However, the cost of living has caused many Australians to downgrade their private healthcare rather than add to it.
CEO of Private Health Australia, Dr. Rachel David, told the ABC over 216,000 policies were downgraded in the first half of 2024.
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