Didn't Received Ambulance Bill after 1 month. No private insurance

aussie-bargainer on 26/10/2016 - 18:32
Last edited 01/11/2016 - 17:12

Hi,

I have used Ambulance service one month back. Actually my friends called it and I was in conscious. The license they give for identification has my current address on back of the license. There are chances that bill might have been sent to old address.

What should I do?

===================================
Update: Thanks for the responses bargainers. I called up them and as I suspected they sent to old address. I don't know what would have happened if I didn't made an enquiry. I think they should turn the license to see latest address.

They sent me the invoice in email extended the date by 3 weeks. I paid the amount which was $403

Health & Beauty

Comments

  • Baysew on 26/10/2016 - 18:56
    +4

    Contact the Ambulance Service

    • aussie-bargainer on 27/10/2016 - 13:11
      +2

      Called them. They said it was sent 3 weeks back to my old address.

      They sent invoice on email and extended the due date by 3 weeks as I didn't received it.

  • Diji1 on 26/10/2016 - 19:39
    +2

    Wait.

  • Savas on 26/10/2016 - 20:01
    +15

    Username checks out

  • altomic on 26/10/2016 - 20:10
    +3

    you had a ride in an ambulance? totally sick, mate!

    • aussie-bargainer on 26/10/2016 - 21:13

      Not ride mate. Friends called Ambulance as I was drunk. I went home as soon as I reached hospital.

      • LongJohn92 on 28/10/2016 - 08:50
        +5

        Might have been cheaper to throw you in a taxi.

        • phor8 on 28/10/2016 - 12:40
          +15

          It's rare you can say that about a taxi

        • aussie-bargainer on 01/11/2016 - 17:01

          I wish they'd done so. I could have saved $400

  • eatwell365 on 26/10/2016 - 20:11
    +1

    what should I do?

    better ask what do you want.
    1. sheet hasn't hit the fan- why worry?
    2. if you are keen to settle the account early, call up ambulance service as per baysew.

    • aussie-bargainer on 26/10/2016 - 21:14
      +1

      I will. Thanks. I waited for month and then it strik my mind that they might have sent to old address.

  • fruit on 26/10/2016 - 20:58
    +2

    There are exemptions for the cost. I forget who is eligible but look it up.
    I'd ring them up just in case.

  • holdenmg on 26/10/2016 - 21:33
    +4

    New Word of the Day is: "Unconscious"

    Consider asking your friends to call a Taxi, Uber, Ingogo, or GoCatch instead of an Ambulance because you (or they) one day might really need an Ambulance.

    …and don't Drink and Drive (because you might spill some). lol

    • fruit on 27/10/2016 - 00:30
      +8

      You realise an Ambulance isn't a taxi and won't take you home?
      The friends were worried about OP and rightly so called an ambulance to get checked up and possible go to the hospital.
      You don't even know why OP was unconscious and assuming they called an ambulance for (non-emergency) transport.

      • aussie-bargainer on 27/10/2016 - 13:10
        +2

        Thanks @fruit

        being sarcastic is new trend nowadays. people speak absurd things to get some + votes.

      • cnrmlj on 28/10/2016 - 12:29
        +2

        Being drunk is not a reason to call an ambulance. Call a taxi or whatever the current trendy thing is at the moment.

        • macrocephalic on 28/10/2016 - 15:06
          +2

          What about being drunk, and completely unresponsive. The OP was apparently so drunk that their friends called an ambulance and (s)he went all the way to the hospital, before discharging him/herself and going home. If the ambos turned up and the OP was conscious and relatively lucid then they would have checked him/her out and left.

        • aussie-bargainer on 01/11/2016 - 17:03
          +1

          @macrocephalic: that's exactly what happened

  • eatwell365 on 26/10/2016 - 23:21
    +1

    Interesting read re emergency law discussion on paying for amb service.

  • eatwell365 on 26/10/2016 - 23:25
    +1

    Read here re exemption in NSW.

  • Randxyz123 on 26/10/2016 - 23:28
    +4

    Sign up for Ambo membership. Anyone who doesn't have that (or private health cover that will cover it) is a stupid idiot.

    Don't worry the bill will reach you eventually…

    • fruit on 27/10/2016 - 00:27

      Link? Never heard of it

    • altomic on 27/10/2016 - 09:54
      +5

      Move to qld where ambo cover is sort of free - everyone pays a small levy with their utilities.

      • fruit on 27/10/2016 - 14:25
        +2

        We should have some sort of tax that covers health care instead of people paying corporations for private health insurance.
        It'll never work though.

        • altomic on 27/10/2016 - 14:43
          +3

          Gough Gough, I know what you mean.

        • macrocephalic on 28/10/2016 - 15:08
          +1

          Yes. Qld has it. We have national public emergency healthcare, why not ambulance cover? Ambulances make up a tiny fraction of the cost of healthcare.

  • bargainslut on 27/10/2016 - 02:52
    +4

    Took them 2 months to send my bill out. From what I hear this is fairly usual as the admin team is understaffed.

    Please be aware you can pay in installments if you wish over a 12 month period.

    I'm actually paying over a 108 month period due to a convenient loophole.

    PM me if you need any further info:)

    • fruit on 27/10/2016 - 14:26
      +1

      108/12 = 9 years

      • bargainslut on 27/10/2016 - 16:07
        +5

        Top marks fruit:)

  • saty1296 on 27/10/2016 - 07:38
    +2

    My little daughter's bill came to our address after 2 years. Luckily we are still living at that address. Their excuse was that their system had a problem that is why they delayed it.

    • StewBalls on 28/10/2016 - 19:08
      +1

      This is ridiculously common…many people barely even remember the event by the time the bill comes.

  • adamvlad on 27/10/2016 - 08:36
    +3

    Have had several ambulance trips billed to me thanks to my rugby union playing so! You forget about the incident til the bill comes in 2 or 3 months later and the bill is huge. Fortunately I have a Health Care Card and do not need to pay.
    If I lose this card I will just pay for Ambulance Insurance. Better to have it.

  • Clear on 27/10/2016 - 08:43
    +5

    Still surprises me that an Ambulance costs in some states.

    • MCPokey on 27/10/2016 - 09:47
      +4

      I know.
      It's free in Qld, well not free, we pay for it in other ways, but there's no insurance necessary in Qld and no bill shock.

      • altomic on 27/10/2016 - 09:56
        +5

        And free still for qlders if they need an ambulance in another state.

    • Randxyz123 on 28/10/2016 - 06:08
      +2

      Sorry but they should charge. We can't make everything free. It's also cheap. It's $44 per year in Victoria.

      • Clear on 28/10/2016 - 07:07
        +2

        If you're not a resident or cannot prove a third party was involved (work, car accident etc) then it'll cost.

      • macrocephalic on 28/10/2016 - 15:11
        +1

        So why not just make it part of the budget? Why make everyone subscribe separately to a public service?

        • [Deactivated] on 29/10/2016 - 03:03
          -1

          Because that way the lower class pay a higher proportion of their wealth and the upper class pay a lower proportion of their wealth. Guess which legislates…

          That's why there is an argument for equal representation of all ages races and socioeconomic backgrounds not just rich white men.

        • macrocephalic on 30/10/2016 - 17:10
          +1

          @voolish: Is the ambulance subscription fee currently based on income? Otherwise, your argument doesn't seem to make sense. In fact, lower income individuals are probably less likely to have private health insurance, and probably less likely to skip paying an ambulance service subscription - so they're the ones who will be paying more under the current system.

        • [Deactivated] on 31/10/2016 - 00:52
          +1

          @macrocephalic: I think you completely misunderstood what I was saying or I didn't make it clear enough.
          If everyone pays taxes and ambulance service is paid for by taxes then everyone pays a portion based on their ability. Politicians don't want that to occur because then richer people (such as themselves) would be subsidising poor people (who are not reflected in cabinet). I'm just saying it would be nice if the political system reflected the society it represents.

  • Voldox on 27/10/2016 - 09:08
    +4

    A 1 year Single Membership to Vic Ambulance is $44.90 per year - one trip usually costs over $1100, well worth it imho.

    • elliebargain on 27/10/2016 - 12:36
      +3

      Definitely well worth it, even if you have private health insurance.

      From their website:

      "Does my private health insurance cover me for ambulance costs?

      Ambulance Victoria have no affiliations with private health insurers therefore we have no knowledge of a person’s individual coverage through that fund. Please also be aware that when you take out ambulance cover with a private health insurance company they do not purchase genuine Ambulance Victoria coverage through us on your behalf. Private health insurers set their own terms and conditions of what they will and will not cover.

      Sadly, we see cases every day where members of private health funds have used the service and then found out that the fund’s terms and conditions do not cover them in particular circumstances, such as air ambulance transport or non-emergency transport

      Ambulance Victoria recommends you contact your fund and use the Ambulance Cover Checklist as a guide to determine if you have sufficient ambulance cover.

      For total confidence and peace of mind that you are fully covered, it is recommended that you maintain your genuine Ambulance Victoria Membership.

      Note: Ambulance Victoria is not 100 per cent government funded so membership fees are a vital source of funding. All membership fees are directed back into operating and improving our services as opposed to revenue obtained by your private health fund which is not forwarded to Ambulance Victoria."

      http://ambulance.vic.gov.au/membership/faq/

      • Voldox on 27/10/2016 - 12:37
        +2

        Yep

        When I looked into it some Health insurance only cover the Emergency Part not the transport between hopitals

        Others limited the number of ambulance trips per year.

        • elliebargain on 27/10/2016 - 12:45
          +2

          Yeah its so sad when people find out about this in the worst way :( Even my parents refuse to get separate ambulance cover. The way I see it, even if you don't use it, you are sort of contributing to them as they do rely on the money from memberships as well as government funding.

          I could be biased because I have a fair few friends who are paramedics but they do a great job, and have it incredibly tough sometimes with what they have to see.

        • fruit on 27/10/2016 - 14:28
          +1

          What about top hospital?

        • elliebargain on 28/10/2016 - 12:24
          +1

          @fruit: Generally it still doesn't cover you for everything - They sometimes still try to wriggle out because it means heaps of money for them (see above: they don't actually take out genuine ambulance cover on your behalf, they just hope they don't have to pay out). You need to check your actual policy. A few health insurance companies do actually take out genuine ambulance vic cover on your behalf, or will reimburse you the cost of ambulance cover.

          But some health insurance companies (ie scumbag Bupa) charge almost the same amount as ambulance Vic ~$40 a year for "emergency only ambulance cover" https://www.bupa.com.au/health-insurance/cover/ambulance

          And Australian unity, who says "What might be non-emergency transportation (and therefore not covered)?
          Non-time critical cases. For instance, if an ambulance is not required to use its lights and sirens, this may be considered a non-emergency. An example of this might be a broken leg."

          http://www.australianunity.com.au/health-insurance/existing-…

          Broken legs can be very serious, especially if broken above the knee. You can't see internal bleeding. You could have a friend who is seriously injured and passing out from the pain - in some situations, how can you be sure you have time to wait for a taxi or drive them to a hospital? I wouldn't want to risk it, and I definitely wouldn't want to be anxious about getting a bill in the thousands because my scumbag private health insurance company wouldn't cover them/me because the ambulance "didn't use their sirens".

          Reading this back, it sounds like it's personal, but luckily I have never been in the situation to need to call an ambulance or have one called for me, however I have heard many sad stories from my paramedic friends about people who were badly injured and subsequently weren't covered by their health insurance, after paying huge premiums for years.

        • doodo477 on 28/10/2016 - 16:40
          +2

          @elliebargain: Just wish health insurance wasn't called insurance its really just simply a discount voucher more than anything else. Once you start looking into the Health insurance and go through the policy's with a fine tooth comb you find that you're not really getting much out of it. Personally I would rather pay into a government run health insurance scheme. At-least then I know any excess fund's will be going back into the health system instead padding the wallets of the health minister.

    • aussie-bargainer on 27/10/2016 - 13:05

      @voldox I can't find ambulance only membership anywhere in NSW. How to and where to buy it ?

      • Voldox on 27/10/2016 - 13:12
        +2

        I looked in other states aswell and couldnt' see where to buy it for NSW. I'm from VIC and SA and always had a membership.

        I found this after googling for a bit (Not East to find)

        ACT and NSW residents can take out ambulance cover through a health fund
        If you’re living in (or close to) our nation’s capital, chances are you’ll need to take out ambulance cover unless you’re a pensioner or low income earner. These groups are entitled to free ambulance services through the state or territory, and would therefore not need to arrange separate cover.
        Anyone not eligible for these free services should instead take out ambulance cover through a registered Australian health fund. Fortunately, emergency ambulance cover is included under policies widely available in NSW & the ACT, so you can enjoy these benefits alongside great insurance policy perks!
        For anyone living in NSW, it’s worth noting you’re only billed “51% of the actual (emergency service) charge, as the NSW government subsidises the service for NSW residents” if you don’t have cover, according to Ambulance Service of NSW. When you look at the table below, however, you’ll see that 51% could still end up costing you quite a bit of money if you don’t have cover.

      • fozzie on 27/10/2016 - 21:24
        -1

        Bupa

      • pgcs on 29/10/2016 - 13:07

        HCF…

  • snook on 27/10/2016 - 12:02
    +2

    It can take months to turn up but it will eventually and they will chase you forever.

    • holdenmg on 28/10/2016 - 02:50
      +3

      …and with Flashing Lights and a Siren and Drivers trained to drive at high speed, you can't outrun them.

  • CI on 28/10/2016 - 10:34
    +6

    SA $950 last time I used it - pretty regular user great service would recommend 10/10

  • JimB on 28/10/2016 - 15:06
    +1

    Don't hate me but what would happen if you chose not to pay?

    FYI I have Private Health so I'm covered.

    • Windows7forever on 28/10/2016 - 17:03
      +1

      OSR will come knocking with their debt collectors and you'll be in a world of trouble.

      • StewBalls on 28/10/2016 - 19:09
        +2

        Plus there'd be a dick move noted on his permanent record…

  • robbie613 on 28/10/2016 - 17:48
    +1

    We used an ambo last Friday, got the bill this Wednesday in VIC. Pretty quick.

  • johnno07 on 28/10/2016 - 20:35
    +2

    Didn't Received Ambulance Bill… I was in conscious

    Are you still drunk, OP?

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