{"id":"tas:sr-2021-069","name":"Ambulance Service (Fees) Regulations 2021","slug":"ambulance-service-fees-regulations-2021","collection":"regulation","jurisdiction":"tas","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":"69 of 2021","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":179899,"registerId":"tas-tas:sr-2021-069-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Short title","content":"### 1 Short title\n\n> These regulations may be cited as the [Ambulance Service (Fees) Regulations 2021](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/sr-2021-069) .","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"2","sectionType":"section","heading":"Commencement","content":"### 2 Commencement\n\n> These regulations take effect on 7 September 2021.","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"3","sectionType":"section","heading":"Interpretation","content":"### 3 Interpretation\n\n> In these regulations –\n> \n> > ***Act*** means the [Ambulance Service Act 1982](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1982-105) ;\n> \n> > ***business hours*** means the hours between 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or statutory holiday as defined in the [Statutory Holidays Act 2000](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-2000-096) ;\n> \n> > ***emergency ambulance services*** means ambulance services provided as –\n> > \n> > > > (a) an immediate response to a potentially life-threatening incident with the use of lights and sirens; or\n> > > \n> > > > (b) a non-immediate response without the use of lights and sirens;\n> \n> > ***first intervention vehicle*** means a vehicle that –\n> > \n> > > > (a) is not an ambulance or a specialised rescue vehicle; and\n> > > \n> > > > (b) is operated by, or on behalf of, the Ambulance Service to provide ambulance services other than non-emergency patient transport services;\n> \n> > ***flight paramedic*** means an officer of the Ambulance service with accreditation under the appropriate award in relation to the provision of advanced life support on an aircraft;\n> \n> > ***intensive care paramedic*** means an officer of the Ambulance Service with accreditation under the appropriate award in relation to the provision of advanced life support;\n> \n> > ***non-emergency patient-transport vehicle*** means a vehicle equipped to provide non-emergency patient transport services in accordance with the Act;\n> \n> > ***patient-transport officer*** means an employee of the Ambulance Service, who, as a part of that employment, provides non-emergency patient transport services;\n> \n> > ***round trip*** means the distance travelled by, or the time taken by, an ambulance, non-emergency patient-transport vehicle, first intervention vehicle, fixed-wing aircraft, helicopter or vessel from the start of a trip until it –\n> > \n> > > > (a) returns to its assigned station; or\n> > > \n> > > > (b) returns to its assigned location; or\n> > > \n> > > > (c) starts a new trip;\n> \n> > ***routine ambulance services*** means ambulance services other than emergency ambulance services or non-emergency patient transport services;\n> \n> > ***specialised rescue vehicle*** means a vehicle with specialised equipment used to extricate trapped people;\n> \n> > ***vessel*** means a vessel within the meaning of the [Marine and Safety Authority Act 1997](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1997-015) .","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"4","sectionType":"section","heading":"Scale of fees","content":"### 4 Scale of fees\n\n> The fees specified in items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 in [Schedule 1](#JS1@EN) are prescribed as the scale of fees payable to the Commissioner in respect of –\n> \n> > > (a) services provided under the Act to which [section 36(1)](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1982-105#GS36@Gs1@EN) , [(1C)](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1982-105#GS36@Gs1C@EN) , [(2)](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1982-105#GS36@Gs2@EN) , [(2A)](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1982-105#GS36@Gs2A@EN) or [(5)](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1982-105#GS36@Gs5@EN) of the Act applies; or\n> > \n> > > (b) [*\\[Regulation 4 Amended by No. 17 of 1996, Applied:07 Mar 2022\\]*](/view/html/inforce/2022-03-07/act-1996-017#AT@EN) services provided under the Act to which [section 36(1B)(a)](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1982-105#GS36@Gs1B@Hpa@EN) of the Act applies and in respect of which there is no reciprocal fee agreement in place between the Commissioner and the Commonwealth, another State Service Agency, a Government Business Enterprise or State Authority; or\n> > \n> > > (c) services provided under the Act to which [section 36(1B(b)](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1982-105#GS36@Gs1B@Hpb@EN) of the Act applies and in respect of which there is no reciprocal fee agreement in place between the Commissioner and the relevant jurisdiction; or\n> > \n> > > (d) non-emergency patient transport services provided by the Ambulance Service; or\n> > \n> > > (e) ambulance services provided on the request of another State or a Territory in respect of which there is no reciprocal fee agreement in place in respect of those ambulance services.","sortOrder":3},{"sectionNumber":"5","sectionType":"section","heading":"Reduction, waiver or refund of fees","content":"### 5 Reduction, waiver or refund of fees\n\n> The Commissioner may reduce, waive or refund all or part of any fee charged under the Act on the grounds of financial hardship or for any other reason that the Commissioner thinks fit.","sortOrder":4},{"sectionNumber":"SCHEDULE 1 - Scale of Fees for","sectionType":"part","heading":"SCHEDULE 1 - Scale of Fees for Ambulance Services","content":"# SCHEDULE 1 - Scale of Fees for SCHEDULE 1 - Scale of Fees for Ambulance Services\n\n[Regulation 4](#GS4@EN)\n\n| Item | Service | Fee(Fee units) |\n| 1. | Emergency ambulance services – |  |\n|  | (a) use of ambulance or first intervention vehicle, with treatment but no transport, for round trip | 756.79 |\n|  | (b) use of ambulance or first intervention vehicle, with treatment and transport, for round trip | 904.94 |\n| 2. | Routine ambulance services with use of ambulancefor round trip – |  |\n|  | (a) first 15 kilometres or part of 15 kilometres; and | 469.14 |\n|  | (b) each kilometre or part of a kilometre in excess of 15 kilometres | 3.78 |\n| 3. | Non-emergency transport services with use of non-emergency patient-transport vehicle for round trip if trip commences during business hours – |  |\n|  | (a) with attendance of one patient-transport officer – |  |\n|  | (i) per round trip; and | 93.83 |\n|  | (ii) each kilometre or part of a kilometre | 1.90 |\n|  | (b) with attendance of two patient-transport officers – |  |\n|  | (i) per round trip; and | 145.06 |\n|  | (ii) each kilometre or part of a kilometre | 2.52 |\n| 4. | Non-emergency transport services with use of non-emergency patient-transport vehicle for round trip if trip commences after business hours – |  |\n|  | (a) with attendance of one patient-transport officer – |  |\n|  | (i) per round trip; and | 140.74 |\n|  | (ii) each kilometre or part of a kilometre | 2.45 |\n|  | (b) with attendance of two patient-transport officers – |  |\n|  | (i) per round trip; and | 242.59 |\n|  | (ii) each kilometre or part of a kilometre | 3.78 |\n| 5. | Aircraft ambulance services – |  |\n|  | (a) provision of ambulance services on fixed-wing aircraft for round trip – |  |\n|  | (i) per round trip including the first hour or part of first hour; and | 3 808.64 |\n|  | (ii) each 15 minutes or part of 15 minutes in excess of the first hour | 293.21 |\n|  | (b) provision of ambulance services on helicopter for round trip – |  |\n|  | (i) per round trip including the first hour or part of first hour; and | 13 598.77 |\n|  | (ii) each additional 15 minutes or part of 15 minutes in excess of the first hour | 1 033.70 |\n| 6. | Hire of ambulance for round trip – |  |\n|  | (a) with attendance of at least one intensive care paramedic – |  |\n|  | (i) first three hours or part of 3 hours and first 15 kilometres or part of 15 kilometres; and | 595.06 |\n|  | (ii) each hour or part of an hour in excess of 3 hours; and | 181.48 |\n|  | (iii) each kilometre or part of a kilometre in excess of 15 kilometres | 0.63 |\n|  | (b) with attendance of at least one paramedic – |  |\n|  | (i) first three hours or part of 3 hours and first 15 kilometres or part of 15 kilometres; and | 553.70 |\n|  | (ii) each hour or part of an hour in excess of 3 hours; and | 167.90 |\n|  | (iii) each kilometre or part of a kilometre in excess of 15 kilometres | 0.63 |\n|  | (c) with attendance of at least one volunteer ambulance officer – |  |\n|  | (i) first three hours or part of 3 hours and first 15 kilometres or part of 15 kilometres; and | 453.09 |\n|  | (ii) each hour or part of an hour in excess of 3 hours; and | 134.57 |\n|  | (iii) each kilometre or part of a kilometre in excess of 15 kilometres | 0.63 |\n| 7. | Hire of first intervention vehicle for round trip – |  |\n|  | (a) with attendance of at least one intensive care paramedic – |  |\n|  | (i) first three hours or part of 3 hours and first 15 kilometres or part of 15 kilometres; and | 342.59 |\n|  | (ii) each hour or part of an hour in excess of 3 hours; and | 97.53 |\n|  | (iii) each kilometre or part of a kilometre in excess of 15 kilometres | 0.63 |\n|  | (b) with attendance of at least one paramedic – |  |\n|  | (i) first three hours or part of 3 hours and first 15 kilometres or part of 15 kilometres; and | 322.22 |\n|  | (ii) each hour or part of an hour in excess of 3 hours; and | 90.74 |\n|  | (iii) each kilometre or part of a kilometre in excess of 15 kilometres | 0.63 |\n|  | (c) with attendance of at least one volunteer ambulance officer – |  |\n|  | (i) first three hours or part of 3 hours and first 15 kilometres or part of 15 kilometres; and | 272.22 |\n|  | (ii) each hour or part of an hour in excess of 3 hours; and | 74.07 |\n|  | (iii) each kilometre or part of a kilometre in excess of 15 kilometres | 0.63 |\n| 8. | Additional fees applying to all ambulance services – |  |\n|  | (a) use of vessel | cost of hire of vessel |\n|  | (b) attendance of medical practitioner (excluding helicopter services) – |  |\n|  | (i) per round trip including the first 3 hours or part of 3 hours; and | 3 075.31 |\n|  | (ii) each additional hour or part of an hour in excess of 3 hours | 1 011.73 |\n|  | (c) attendance of nurse – |  |\n|  | (i) per round trip including the first 4 hours or part of 4 hours; and | 1 853.70 |\n|  | (ii) each additional hour or part of an hour in excess of 4 hours | 453.09 |\n|  | (d) attendance of flight paramedic (aircraft ambulance services) – |  |\n|  | (i) per round trip including the first 3 hours or part of 3 hours; and | 1 334.57 |\n|  | (ii) each additional hour or part of an hour in excess of 3 hours | 431.48 |\n\nDisplayed and numbered in accordance with the *[Rules Publication Act 1953](/view/html/inforce/current/act-1953-050)*.\n\nNotified in the *Gazette* on 2 September 2021\n\nThese regulations are administered in the Department of Health.","sortOrder":5}],"analysis":{"summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Based on the available text, the regulation appears to remain focused on its original and singular purpose: prescribing fees for ambulance services in Tasmania. There is no visible evidence of scope creep or expansion beyond fee-setting since its commencement in 2021, though the Table of Amendments (not fully visible) may contain minor fee adjustments consistent with the original intent."},"complexity_factors":["The regulation appears to be a straightforward fee-setting instrument with a narrow, specific purpose","The provided text is largely administrative metadata rather than substantive legal content, limiting full analysis","Fee regulations of this type are typically short and structured as schedules or tables, making them relatively easy to interpret","No apparent interaction with complex legal frameworks, cross-jurisdictional issues, or multi-agency obligations visible in the provided text"],"plain_english_summary":"This regulation sets the official fee structure for ambulance services in Tasmania, determining what patients (including residents without subscription/insurance and visitors) may be charged for call‑outs and transport. It matters because ambulance bills can be unexpectedly high, so the rules clarify legally enforceable charges. The summary available shows the administrative framework and status, but not the exact dollar amounts — consult the full regulation or amendments for specific fees."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"These regulations implement a fee schedule and administrative rules authorised by the Ambulance Service Act 1982 (they prescribe the amounts and measurement rules for charges the Act permits). They do not add new charging powers or create new categories of services beyond those referenced in the Act; rather, they operationalise how the existing charging power is applied (Regulation 4 linking to s.36 of the Act). The addition of an explicit discretionary waiver/refund provision (Regulation 5) delegates relief decisions to the Commissioner but does not expand the statutory range of services that may be charged."},"complexity_factors":["12 defined terms in Regulation 3 (e.g. \"business hours\", \"round trip\", \"emergency ambulance services\")","Numerous conditional charging rules in Schedule 1 (different bases: per round trip, per km, per hour, per 15 minutes)","Nested subitems by service type and by staff/vehicle category (items 1–8 with multiple subclauses)","Cross-references to multiple subsections of section 36 of the Ambulance Service Act 1982 (Regulation 4)","Distinction between business hours and after-hours rates (items 3 and 4) and between one‑ and two‑officer attendance (items 3–4)","Discretionary waiver/refund power without statutory criteria (Regulation 5) increasing administrative discretion and possible inconsistent application","Interjurisdictional exception logic for reciprocal fee agreements (Regulation 4(b),(c),(e))","Measurement rule for a \"round trip\" that ties billing to operational events (return to station/location or start of a new trip), creating implementation dependencies on operational record-keeping"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this instrument does (mechanically)**\n\n- Sets the price schedule (fees) that the Commissioner may charge for ambulance services provided under the Ambulance Service Act 1982. The specific fees and how they are calculated are listed in Schedule 1 (Regulation 4 and Schedule 1).\n- Defines key terms used to apply the schedule — for example what counts as an \"emergency ambulance service\", a \"round trip\" (how distance/time is measured for billing), \"business hours\", and the different vehicle and personnel categories (Regulation 3).\n- Gives the Commissioner power to reduce, waive or refund all or part of any fee on grounds of financial hardship or on any other basis the Commissioner thinks fit (Regulation 5).\n\n**Who is affected**\n\n- Patients and people who request ambulance services — they are the primary payers when fees apply (Regulation 4 and Schedule 1). Fees cover emergency responses, routine ambulance services, non‑emergency patient transport, aircraft ambulance services, hiring vehicles for extended use, and extra charges for specialist attendance (Schedule 1).\n- The Ambulance Service Commissioner and the Ambulance Service workforce — they must record, invoice and collect fees according to the definitions and rates in the regulations, and the Commissioner has discretion to grant waivers or refunds (Regulations 3, 4 and 5).\n- Other government entities or interstate/territory services — services provided to or on request of another State or Territory are chargeable under the schedule unless a reciprocal fee agreement exists (Regulation 4(b),(c),(e)).\n\n**How fees are structured (key mechanics)**\n\n- Fees are mostly per round trip and/or per kilometre or per time unit, depending on service type. \"Round trip\" is the distance or time from trip start to either return to station/location or the start of a new trip (Regulation 3 definition).\n- Emergency responses are charged at fixed round‑trip rates depending on whether treatment only (no transport) or treatment with transport was provided (Schedule 1, item 1).\n- Routine services and hires use a combination of a base charge for an initial distance/time portion and incremental charges for distance or time beyond that (Schedule 1, items 2, 6, 7).\n- Non‑emergency patient transport differentiates business‑hours and after‑hours starting times and whether one or two patient‑transport officers attended (Schedule 1, items 3 and 4).\n- Aircraft and helicopter services are charged by blocks of time (first hour and additional 15‑minute increments) with substantially higher helicopter rates (Schedule 1, item 5).\n- Additional fees apply for use of vessels and for attendance by medical practitioners, nurses or flight paramedics, with time‑based increments (Schedule 1, item 8).\n\n**Official purpose claim and how the regulations meet it**\n\n- The instrument implements a fee schedule that operationalises the charging power given to the Commissioner under the Ambulance Service Act (see Reg 4 linking to s.36 of the Act). That is, the stated purpose is to specify the amounts to be charged for recoverable ambulance services.\n- The regulations achieve this by (a) defining the set of billable services and measurement rules (what a \"round trip\" is, what counts as \"business hours\", types of vehicle and staff); and (b) prescribing monetary amounts or bases for calculation for each service in Schedule 1.\n\n**Costs, incentives and implementation trade‑offs**\n\n- Who pays: patients (or their insurers/third parties) and other jurisdictions without reciprocal agreements bear the direct cost of the fees (Regulation 4). The schedule therefore creates a direct price signal to callers and third‑party payers.\n- Incentives: per‑trip and per‑kilometre/time charging creates incentives to minimise ambulance distance/time where feasible (for example preferring closer transport options), and the sharply higher aircraft/heli rates signal the high marginal cost of aeromedical retrievals (Schedule 1, items 5 and 8(d)).\n- Equity and affordability: Commissioner discretion to reduce/waive fees on financial hardship grounds can relieve low‑income users, but that relief is discretionary rather than automatic (Regulation 5). That allocative choice places administrative burden on the Ambulance Service to assess and process waivers/refunds.\n- Compliance and administrative burden: the billing regime requires operational tracking of trip start/finish, returns to station or start of new trips, kilometres travelled and time on hire, plus staff categories present. This increases administrative work for ambulance crews and central billing teams (Regulation 3 definition of \"round trip\" and Schedule 1 measurement rules).\n- Interjurisdictional complexity: fees do not apply where there is a reciprocal fee agreement. Determining whether a reciprocal agreement exists and applying it introduces extra decision rules for cross‑border or Commonwealth/State agency requests (Regulation 4(b),(c),(e)).\n- Behavioural substitution: non‑urgent users face a financial cost for ambulance transport which may push some to seek alternative transport. That can reduce avoidable ambulance demand but could also risk delaying care where cost is a barrier.\n- Risk of concentrated vs diffuse impacts: high per‑use charges concentrate costs on individuals or single episodes (e.g. emergency callouts, aeromedical retrieval). Administrative discretion to waive fees concentrates decision power in the Commissioner’s office (Regulation 5).\n\n**Key discretionary points and who decides**\n\n- The Commissioner decides when to reduce, waive or refund fees, including on grounds of financial hardship or any other reason the Commissioner sees fit (Regulation 5). The Commissioner also administers application of the scale in Schedule 1 (Regulation 4).\n\n**Implementation risks and monitoring needs**\n\n- Billing accuracy depends on consistent operational definitions (e.g. identifying when a round trip ends), reliable distance/time measurement, and proper recording of staff attendance categories.\n- Transparency and consistency in waiver/refund decisions will affect public confidence and equity outcomes — the regulations give discretion but do not set a public standard or review process for waiver decisions (Regulation 5).\n\n**Relevant provisions**\n- Definitions and measurement mechanics: Regulation 3.\n- Fee application and which services are chargeable: Regulation 4 (linked to s.36 of the Ambulance Service Act 1982).\n- Commissioner’s discretion to reduce/waive/refund: Regulation 5.\n- The exact monetary amounts and incremental bases for charging (kilometre/time blocks, staff attendance) are in Schedule 1 (Regulation 4, Schedule 1).\n\n"},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation appears consistent with its original purpose of setting fees for ambulance services. The scope covers emergency, routine, and non-emergency transport as well as specialised services (aircraft, vessels), which represents a comprehensive but not expanded approach to ambulance fee regulation."},"complexity_factors":["13 defined terms in the interpretation section, several requiring cross-references to other Acts (Statutory Holidays Act 2000, Marine and Safety Authority Act 1997)","Nested fee structure with multiple variables: time of day (business hours vs after-hours), vehicle type, staff qualifications (intensive care paramedic vs volunteer), distance tiers, and time blocks","Cross-references to multiple subsections of section 36 of the Ambulance Service Act 1982 (five different subsections referenced in regulation 4)","Conditional logic for reciprocal fee agreements creating exceptions to the general fee liability","Complex distance and time calculations: 'per kilometre or part of a kilometre' and 'per hour or part of an hour' requiring precise measurement","Duplicative schedule heading ('SCHEDULE 1 - Scale of Fees for SCHEDULE 1 - Scale of Fees for Ambulance Services') suggesting drafting or formatting error"],"plain_english_summary":"This legislation sets out the fees that people or organisations must pay for ambulance services in Tasmania. It covers everything from emergency callouts with sirens to routine medical transport and even helicopter rescues.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- **Patients** who use ambulance services, particularly those who aren't covered by private health insurance or reciprocal agreements with other states\n- **Other states and territories** that request Tasmanian ambulance assistance\n- **The Commissioner of Ambulance Services**, who can waive or reduce fees in cases of financial hardship\n\n**What it does:**\n- **Sets specific fees** for different types of ambulance services, measured in \"fee units\" (a standard way of calculating charges that gets updated for inflation)\n- **Emergency services** (lights and sirens): Around 757-905 fee units depending on whether transport is provided\n- **Routine services**: Base fee plus per-kilometre charges\n- **Non-emergency transport**: Different rates for business hours vs after-hours, and for one or two officers\n- **Aircraft services**: Fixed-wing aircraft (~3,809 fee units for first hour) and helicopters (~13,599 fee units for first hour) — significantly more expensive due to specialised equipment and flight paramedics\n- **Vehicle hire**: Ambulances and first intervention vehicles can be hired with different rates depending on whether an intensive care paramedic, regular paramedic, or volunteer is attending\n\n**Key features:**\n- **Financial hardship protection**: The Commissioner has broad power to reduce, waive, or refund fees\n- **Reciprocal agreements**: No fees charged when Tasmania has agreements with the Commonwealth, other states, or specific agencies\n- **Round trip calculation**: Fees are based on the complete journey until the vehicle returns to base or starts a new job\n\n**Why it matters:**\nAmbulance services are expensive to provide, especially aircraft and intensive care. These regulations ensure the service can recover costs while protecting vulnerable people from crushing medical debt through the hardship provisions."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ambulance-service-fees-regulations-2021","history":"/api/acts/ambulance-service-fees-regulations-2021/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ambulance-service-fees-regulations-2021/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ambulance-service-fees-regulations-2021/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ambulance-service-fees-regulations-2021/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ambulance-service-fees-regulations-2021/documents"}}