At a glance
Always call 000 in a medical emergency.
Go to the nearest hospital emergency department, either by ambulance or your own transport if it’s safe to do so.
Public hospital emergency department fees are generally covered by Medicare; private emergency departments may charge you fees that you have to pay yourself.
If you’re admitted as a private patient, your hospital cover may be able to help pay benefits towards treatment included in your cover if you’ve served any relevant waiting periods, but you may still have out-of-pocket costs.
Call 000 immediately
If you or someone you know needs urgent medical help, call 000 for immediate assistance. An operator will give you clear instructions for your situation, which might include waiting for an ambulance to take you to hospital.
All Medibank hospital covers include unlimited emergency ambulance1.
If it's not life-threatening
If the situation isn’t life-threatening, go to an emergency department using your own transport if it's safe to do so.
Not sure if it's an emergency?
With 24/7 Medibank Nurse Support, Medibank health insurance members can chat to a registered nurse to get guidance on what they can do next. Chat online or call 1800 644 325 anytime of the day or night, 7 days a week at no extra cost2.
Arriving at hospital
The priority in a medical emergency is to get help quickly, which is why ambulances generally take patients to the nearest available emergency department. That means you don’t always have a choice over which hospital you’ll be taken to for treatment.
Emergency departments can be public or private. Regardless of which type of emergency department you go to, you’ll generally be seen by a triage nurse who will assess your condition to determine how quickly you need treatment.
Public hospitals tend to have large emergency departments to respond to more serious accidents and emergencies.
Private hospital emergency departments may be less busy than a public one. However, private emergency departments may involve out-of-pocket costs.
You can be treated in an emergency department without being admitted to hospital; for example, getting stitches for a minor wound.
However, if you go to an emergency department and need to be admitted to hospital for a serious or life-threatening reason, you'll most likely be treated at that same hospital.
If it’s a private hospital, you’ll be a private patient in a private hospital; if it’s a public hospital, you’ll have the choice to be a public or private patient.
Here’s what each of these scenarios mean.
There are generally no out-of-pocket costs involved, since public hospital treatment is paid for by Medicare. You don’t have a choice over who treats you and are less likely to get a private room.
If you have eligible hospital cover and have served any relevant waiting periods, you can choose to be treated as a private patient in a public hospital. Treatment will generally be the same as what you would receive as a public patient.
If you’re considering this option, you might like to ask the hospital:
- Can I choose my specialist or doctor?
- Will I be able to get a private room?
You can ask us:
- What out-of-pocket costs might I have in hospital or after I leave?
- What benefits will I receive if I use my private health cover?
You’ll have more choice over the specialist or surgeon who treats you but may have out-of-pocket costs. The hospital will check if your cover includes the services or treatment you need before you’re admitted.
Your doctors will also need to complete a Medibank Accident Claim Form.
Call us on 132 331 or chat to us online if you need help or have questions about the admission process.
How your Medibank cover shows up in an emergency
Unlimited Emergency Ambulance
Medibank offers unlimited emergency ambulance on all hospital covers to help you get to hospital in a medical emergency1.
Gold level cover for Accidents
If you’re a Medibank member with hospital cover and you have an accident, any Excluded or Restricted service will be treated as if it is an Included service, no matter what level of hospital cover you have3.
24/7 Medibank Nurse Support
Not sure if it’s an emergency? Medibank health insurance members can chat to a registered nurse to get guidance on what they can do next. Chat online or call 1800 644 325 anytime of the day or night, 7 days a week at no extra cost2.
Frequently asked questions
Now that you’ve covered
☑ What to do in a medical emergency
☑ Private and public emergency departments
☑ Using your cover in an accident or emergency
You might like to explore
Things you should know
1 Waiting period applies. For ambulance attendance or transportation to a hospital where immediate medical attention is required and your condition is such that you couldn't be transported any other way. TAS and QLD have State schemes that provide ambulance services for residents of those States.
2 Some referred services may involve out-of-pocket costs and waiting periods may apply.
3 Other fees may include a facility fee, or fees for diagnostic services, other specialists, or take-home medication and equipment, depending on your circumstance.
4 For Accidents that occur in Australia after your cover starts. Must seek medical treatment within 7 days, and receive hospital treatment within 12 months of the Accident occurring. Excludes Private Emergency Department Benefit, hospital bonus, claims covered by third parties and our Private Room Promise. Out-of-pocket costs may apply. An Accident is an unforeseen event, occurring by chance and caused by an external force or object, resulting in involuntary injury to the body requiring immediate treatment. Accident does not include any unforeseen conditions the onset of which is due to medical causes nor does it include pre-existing conditions, falling pregnant or accidents arising from surgical procedures.
While we hope you find this information helpful, please note that it is general in nature. It is not health advice, and is not tailored to meet your individual health needs. You should always consult a trusted health professional before making decisions about your health care. While we have prepared the information carefully, we can’t guarantee that it is accurate, complete or up-to-date. And while we may mention goods or services provided by others, we aren’t specifically endorsing them and can’t accept responsibility for them. For these reasons we are unable to accept responsibility for any loss that may be sustained from acting on this information (subject to applicable consumer guarantees).
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