Many riders may not realise that if they are involved in a crash, they may not be covered for what could be a very long and expensive ambulance ride.
Freebies
The good news for permanent Queensland and Tasmanian residents is that they are covered. Even if they travel interstate and crash. That includes all emergency pre-hospital ambulance treatment and transport Australia-wide.
If you crash outside the state and receive an invoice for ambulance treatment and transport, just send it to the Queensland or Tasmanian ambulance service with proof of residency for payment.
Interestingly, Queensland won’t pay up if a Tasmanian makes a clam in that state!
Costly ambulance ride
However, if you are not a resident of those states, the cheapest ambulance callout fee is $382 in NSW. Half the price is subsidised by the government for NSW residents.
Then it rises massively. NT is $790, ACT $959, Western Australia $967, South Australia $976 and Victoria – a popular destination for interstate riders – is a massive $1204.
That’s just for starters.
Depending on the length of the ambulance ride and the services required, it can cost thousands.
And you will still be liable for the cost even if someone else calls an ambulance for you and you refuse service.
Insurance
Many riders erroneously believe they are covered by Medicare.
Others believe their private medical insurance will cover the ambulance ride, but that may not always be the case.
Have a look at the fine print in your insurance now before you head off interstate these Christmas holidays.
If not, you can pay a fairly small membership fee (usually under $100 for a family) to the ambulance service in your state. But that still may not cover you interstate.
You can also upgrade your insurance to include ambulance cover, or you can opt for a specialist ambulance cover.
But again, make sure it covers you Australia-wide.
Also, find out if the cover includes just emergencies or non-emergencies as well and includes all pre-hospital treatment.
Some pensioner and concession cards may either provide free cover for an ambulance ride and treatment or at least a discount on ambulance insurance.
If you only need insurance while you are interstate, the cheapest option could be set-period travel insurance. Just make sure ambulance services are included.