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What to do in an emergency

Call an ambulance in a medical emergency

If you're experiencing a medical emergency, call 000 or go to a hospital emergency department.

A man sits on his hospital bed speaking on the phone

What you need to do

If you've called an ambulance or visited a hospital emergency department, please call us as soon as you're able. We can talk you through the options to help avoid any potential extra costs.

If you're treated in a hospital, you may be asked for your GU Health Member card and, if you're eligible, your Medicare card.

Treatment in hospital

Check out Going to Hospital for more information or contact us.

Australian residents

As an Australian resident with private health insurance, you can choose whether you're treated as a public or private patient. In the event of an emergency, you may be treated as a public patient so you can be taken care of immediately.

Private patients

If you're admitted as a private patient we recommend you check the hospital is a partner private hospital, obtain Informed Financial Consent so you understand any potential out-of-pocket expenses and check to see if your level of cover is sufficient for the service/treatment you require.

Overseas visitors

If you’re an overseas visitor with reciprocal health entitlements, Medicare will cover medically necessary treatment as a public patient. If you choose to be a private patient in a public or private hospital, Medicare won’t pay any benefits. As a private patient with or without reciprocal health entitlements, we’ll pay benefits for your treatment in line with your level of cover.

Australian residents

As an Australian resident with private health insurance, you can choose whether you're treated as a public or private patient. In the event of an emergency, you may be treated as a public patient so you can be taken care of immediately.

Private patients

If you're admitted as a private patient we recommend you check the hospital is a partner private hospital, obtain Informed Financial Consent so you understand any potential out-of-pocket expenses and check to see if your level of cover is sufficient for the service/treatment you require.

Overseas visitors

If you’re an overseas visitor with reciprocal health entitlements, Medicare will cover medically necessary treatment as a public patient. If you choose to be a private patient in a public or private hospital, Medicare won’t pay any benefits. As a private patient with or without reciprocal health entitlements, we’ll pay benefits for your treatment in line with your level of cover.

Does my health cover include ambulance services?

Depending on the state you live in and your level of hospital cover, you'll either receive full ambulance cover, or you may be entitled to emergency transport only.

Ambulance cover factsheet

A woman sits in an ambulance with an oxygen mask on, while a paramedic holds her shoulders

Full ambulance cover

If your level of cover includes full ambulance, you're covered for medically necessary ambulance transport and on-the-spot treatment by a recognised ambulance provider Australia-wide.

A person laying on an ambulance stretcher on their side, while wearing an oxygen mask

Emergency transport only

If your level of cover includes emergency transport only, and you live outside of New South Wales (NSW) or the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), this means you're only covered for ambulance transport that's deemed an emergency.

Paramedics push a stretcher out the back of an ambulance down the hallway of a hospital

What determines what an emergency is?

We don't determine whether the transportation you claim is an emergency – this is decided by the paramedic and recorded on the invoice.

A woman sits in an ambulance with an oxygen mask on, while a paramedic holds her shoulders

Full ambulance cover

If your level of cover includes full ambulance, you're covered for medically necessary ambulance transport and on-the-spot treatment by a recognised ambulance provider Australia-wide.

A person laying on an ambulance stretcher on their side, while wearing an oxygen mask

Emergency transport only

If your level of cover includes emergency transport only, and you live outside of New South Wales (NSW) or the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), this means you're only covered for ambulance transport that's deemed an emergency.

Paramedics push a stretcher out the back of an ambulance down the hallway of a hospital

What determines what an emergency is?

We don't determine whether the transportation you claim is an emergency – this is decided by the paramedic and recorded on the invoice.

Check your cover

Check your level of cover by logging into Online Member Services or the GU Health App.

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