Ambulance Cover

[Limey]

Hi All,



I've been looking at quotes for ambulance cover and am surprised by the difference in prices.



I have one quote from Ambulance Victoria for $120 p.a and another from HBA for $46.80 p.a.



What questions should I ask the provider concerning cover? There are two important factors that need mentioning:



My wife is pregnant

We will be moving out to sunny Wyndham Vale soon. Will there be a 'catchment area' type of cover?



Which provider do you recommend and why?



Thanks,



David.

[t-pot]

David,



Any emergency ambulance service that you will receive in Victoria is delivered by Ambulance Victoria, so there will be no change in catchment area cover depending upon where you live. I cannot comment on the cover provided by HBA, but the cover by Ambulance Victoria is all encompassing - road crews, MICA, helicopters and fixed wing, and there is no limit to how many call-outs you can have per year - and this cover is Australia-wide.



I would check with HBA on the number of call-outs and the type of services covered - and, considering you've got a bub on the way, particularly whether they will include Newborn Emergency Transport Services (NETS) - a specialised ambulance vehicle designed for transporting sick bubs from hosp to hosp, providing ICU care en route. I hope you will never require an ambulance at all, but it would definitely be one less thing to worry about, having total ambulance cover.



- t-pot

[Limey]

Hi t-pot,



Thanks for the reply, that clears things up a bit.



Think I'll go with Ambulance Victoria.



Cheers!

[iblis.raeb]

I vaguely remember an Ambulance Victoria commercial that spruiked the fact that only direct membership with Ambulance Victoria provides full coverage; is there any merit to this fading memory of mine, t-pot?

[t-pot]

i haven't seen that ad, but with ambulance vic you'd most definitely be covered fully, not sure about other health insurers.. however, on the flip side i suppose you could argue that ambulance vic uses its subscriptions for funding, therefore perhaps being more expensive. I would go with AV though, personally