was chatting to a super-commuter on my way to work yesterday - he was asking me if I had ambulance cover - turns out he was riding ‘bay in a day’ and had a pretty bad crash - got taken to hospital in an Ambulance and a few weeks later got his bill for $2000 bucks. (as is customary if you’re not a member)
He was under the impression that bicycle victoria would sort it out - but that turned out to be wrong.
so this is kind of a heads up I guess -
If you don’t have Ambulance cover, and you regularly ride a bike - SORT IT OUT!
(also, I’ve heard TAC can help you out? or is that wrong as well?)
Some folks also believe that their health insurance covers ambo membership. If you’re in that camp check your cover’ cos it’s not universally true.
If it’s not included, get it separately, don’t think twice about it.
Not quite cycling related but here’s a cautionary tale - my mate Ceef has had 2 dirt bike crashes in the last couple of years, badly fucked himself up both times and both times was airlifted out of the bush, straight to the Alfred. Try to imagine what the bill for a helicopter ambo ride would be…
TAC will only cover you if a registered vehicle is involved. If you come off cos of mechanical or brain failure you’re not covered by TAC.
It’s cheap insurance and the ambo’s do a great job all the time!
for queenslanders, from the QLD ambulance website.
"Community Ambulance Cover gives certainty of funding to the Queensland Ambulance Service by spreading the cost across the community. A charge of 28.134 cents a day, or $102.69 a year, will apply to each electricity sale arrangement unless an exemption has been obtained.
Community Ambulance Cover is not a ‘user-pays’ system for ambulance services. No Matter who pays for the electricity supplied to your business or household, every Queenslander is automatically covered for the cost of ambulance services nationwide."
Long story short, you pay for ambulance cover on your electricity bill, if you are unlucky enough to live in QLD.
is it not a hell of a lot cheaper if you get ambo cover through your private health insurance (provided you have some)?? if it’s not included i would expect it to still be cheaper as an ‘extra’
my sister seems to think her family of 5 only costs them $73 per year through their health insurance…
that said, i’m still paying for health insurance in WA. does anyone know if HBF have an affiliated company in Victoria?
do you have to pay your own way with TAC then claim it back later?
As in you pay for everything, ambulance, hospital, Dr, then tally it up and get it back in a lump sum?
I got it before i raced warny last year and now they just direct debit it out of my account although I don’t remember authorising this. At $60 we aren’t really talking sheep stations here though are we?
So does mine… saves me forgetting. (I think she knows who I’ll be asking for a loan from).
Private health insurance is essentially to fill the gaps/jump the queue in the public system. I imagine if they do include ambo it would just be an enticer to sell you insurance.
Ambo cover YES. Private Health NO. Call me a socialist but there is nothing wrong with me, I don’t have a family and if something serious happens were not in the US and I’ll be treated irrespective of my insurance status (though I’ll probably regret not having it afterward)
i used to agree with you, but when i thought i needed knee surgery the 18 month waiting list in the public system pretty much convinced me otherwise. Teachers Federation Health FTW!
