Health and insurance aren’t the exciting parts of Big Lap planning. Nobody lies awake at night dreaming about their Medicare setup. But getting these sorted before you leave prevents the kind of problems that can derail a trip entirely: a medical emergency without adequate cover, a caravan accident without insurance, a breakdown in the middle of nowhere without roadside assist, or running out of critical medication 800km from the nearest pharmacy.
This guide covers the health and insurance essentials. Most of it is a one-time setup before departure with minimal ongoing management. An hour or two of admin now saves potentially thousands of dollars and enormous stress on the road.
Sorted before you leave, checked every few months on the road. Health and insurance admin is boring but essential.
Health & Medical
Pre-departure health check. Book a comprehensive check-up with your GP 2 to 3 months before departure. Discuss your travel plans, get a general health assessment, and address anything that’s been on the “I should get that looked at” list. If your GP identifies anything that needs follow-up (referral to a specialist, further tests, a minor procedure), you have time to deal with it before you leave.
Dental check. Get a clean, check, and any outstanding work done. Dental emergencies on the road are painful, expensive, and hard to manage in remote areas. A regional dentist can handle an emergency extraction, but complex work often requires a return to a major centre.
Eye test. Particularly important if you’re the primary driver. An up-to-date prescription and a spare pair of glasses (or spare contact lenses) should be in the van. Losing or breaking your only pair of glasses in a remote town is a problem you don’t need.
Vaccinations. Check that routine vaccinations are up to date, particularly tetanus (recommended every 10 years). If travelling to tropical areas (Top End, Far North Queensland), discuss whether any additional precautions are warranted. For kids, check their immunisation schedule is current and carry their immunisation history statement.
Medicare. Medicare works everywhere in Australia. Your Medicare card gives you access to bulk-billed GPs (where available), public hospital emergency departments, and subsidised medications under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). The challenge on the road isn’t coverage; it’s access. Bulk-billing GPs are scarce in regional and remote areas. You may need to pay upfront and claim the Medicare rebate afterward. Make sure your Medicare details are linked to myGov for easy claiming.
Find a GP on the road. The HotDoc and HealthEngine apps let you search for GPs by location and book online. Bulk Billing Doctor and similar apps filter specifically for bulk-billing practices. In very remote areas, the Royal Flying Doctor Service provides emergency and primary care. Know the RFDS contact number for the region you’re in.
Prescriptions & Medication
If you take regular medication, this section is critical.
Talk to your GP about extended prescriptions. Standard prescriptions allow one month’s supply at a time with a limited number of repeats. For long-term travel, ask your GP to prescribe the maximum allowable repeats and discuss whether you can get 2 to 3 months’ supply dispensed at once. Some pharmacies can do this for medications you take regularly; the PBS rules vary by medication.
Get an up-to-date medication list. Ask your GP for a printed summary that includes every medication you take, the dosage, the frequency, and the reason. If you need to see a new doctor on the road (and you will), this list saves time and prevents errors. Keep a copy in the van and a digital copy on your phone.
Carry enough supply. Always carry at least 2 weeks’ extra supply beyond what you expect to need before the next pharmacy visit. In remote areas, pharmacies may not stock your specific medication and may need to order it in, which can take days. Running out of blood pressure medication or antidepressants in a town with no pharmacy is a genuine health risk.
eScripts. Electronic prescriptions (eScripts) are your best friend on the road. Your GP sends the prescription to your phone as a token or QR code, and you can fill it at any pharmacy in Australia. No paper script to lose. Ask your GP to issue eScripts for everything before you leave.
Telehealth is available across Australia and is bulk-billed by many GPs. If you need a prescription renewal, a referral, or non-urgent medical advice while on the road, a telehealth appointment with your regular GP is often the easiest option. Set this up before you leave so your GP’s clinic is ready for remote consultations.
Organised, labelled, and carrying more than you think you need. Medication management on the road is about preparation, not luck.
Health Insurance
Do you need private health insurance on the Big Lap? Medicare covers public hospital treatment and subsidised GP visits everywhere in Australia. Private health insurance adds access to private hospitals, shorter wait times for elective procedures, and extras cover (dental, optical, physio). Whether you need it depends on your health situation, your age, and your risk tolerance.
If you already have it: review your policy. Check that your current policy covers you for the areas you’ll be travelling (some policies have geographic restrictions). Check the excess amount; a high excess saves on premiums but means a larger upfront cost if you need hospital treatment on the road. Consider temporarily upgrading hospital cover if you’re dropping down to save money, particularly if you have pre-existing conditions.
If you don’t have it: consider at least basic hospital cover. A broken leg, a severe illness, or an emergency surgery in a regional hospital can mean weeks of recovery. Private hospital cover gives you more options and potentially faster treatment. For travellers over 55, private health insurance becomes particularly important as the likelihood of needing hospital care increases.
Ambulance cover. Ambulance costs vary by state. Queensland and Tasmania provide free ambulance transport. Other states charge $400 to $1,200+ per callout, and significantly more for remote area retrieval (helicopter evacuations can cost $10,000+). Ambulance cover is included in some health insurance policies and available as standalone cover for around $50 to $90/year. If you’re travelling through states that charge for ambulance, this is essential.
Vehicle & Caravan Insurance
Comprehensive insurance for both the vehicle and the caravan. This is non-negotiable. A single accident while towing can total both the car and the van, injure other people, and damage other property. Without comprehensive insurance, you’re personally liable for all of it. The annual premium ($800 to $2,000+ for the van, $600 to $1,500+ for the vehicle) is a fraction of the potential cost of an uninsured accident.
Check the policy details. Not all caravan insurance is created equal. Check: coverage while towing (some policies only cover the van while stationary), coverage on unsealed roads (some policies exclude gravel roads), coverage for contents (personal belongings inside the van), agreed value vs market value (agreed value guarantees a payout amount; market value can be disputed), and excess amounts.
Modifications. If you’ve modified the van or vehicle (suspension, solar, storage, awning upgrades), make sure these are declared and covered by your policy. Undeclared modifications can void your insurance entirely. The caravan insurance guide covers this in detail.
Third-party property damage at minimum. If comprehensive insurance is genuinely out of budget, third-party property damage insurance covers damage you cause to other people’s vehicles and property. It doesn’t cover your own vehicle or van, but it prevents the financial catastrophe of being personally liable for someone else’s $80,000 car.
Roadside Assist
Roadside assist is your safety net for breakdowns, flat batteries, flat tyres, lockouts, and towing to the nearest mechanic. On the Big Lap, it’s essential.
Standard vs premium. Standard roadside assist typically covers breakdowns within a limited radius and basic towing. Premium cover extends towing distances (critical in remote Australia where the nearest mechanic might be 300+km away), covers caravan-specific incidents, and often includes accommodation and transport if your vehicle is off the road for repairs.
Check caravan coverage. Not all roadside assist policies cover caravans. Some cover the tow vehicle only. Some cover the van but not if it’s unhitched. Confirm that your policy covers the full combination (vehicle plus van) and that towing distances are adequate for the remote areas on your route.
Providers. NRMA, RACQ, RACV, RAC, RAA, RACT, and AANT all offer roadside assist, and most have reciprocal coverage across state borders. Some caravan insurers bundle roadside assist with their policies. Our roadside assist comparison breaks down the options.
Remote area limitations. Even premium roadside assist has limitations in very remote areas. Response times can be 12 to 24 hours or more on outback tracks. Some areas are outside all coverage zones entirely. On genuinely remote stretches, self-sufficiency (tools, spares, knowledge, satellite communicator) is your primary safety net, with roadside assist as backup.
When you need roadside assist on the Nullarbor, you’ll be very glad you paid the premium for extended towing coverage.
Other Insurance To Consider
Contents insurance. Your van is full of expensive gear: electronics, solar equipment, camping gear, tools, personal items. Some caravan insurance policies include contents cover; others don’t. If your caravan policy doesn’t cover contents, a standalone portable contents policy may be worth it. Check coverage limits and excess amounts.
Income protection. If you’re working on the road, income protection insurance covers you if an injury or illness prevents you from earning. This is particularly relevant if your trip depends on ongoing income. Review your existing policy (if you have one) to ensure it covers you while travelling.
Travel insurance. Standard domestic travel insurance covers trip cancellation, medical expenses, and personal belongings for short trips. Most policies don’t cover full-time travel or trips longer than a few months. Some providers offer long-term domestic travel policies; check the fine print carefully. For most Big Lappers with adequate health and caravan insurance, separate travel insurance is unnecessary.
- Get a full health check, dental check, and eye test 2 to 3 months before departure. Address anything outstanding while you have time and access to your regular practitioners.
- Organise extended prescriptions via eScripts and always carry 2+ weeks’ extra medication supply. Remote pharmacies may not stock your medication and ordering takes days.
- Medicare works everywhere in Australia but bulk-billing is scarce in regional areas. Set up telehealth with your regular GP before you leave for easy remote consultations.
- Comprehensive insurance for both vehicle and caravan is non-negotiable. Check coverage on unsealed roads, while towing, and for modifications. Agreed value is better than market value.
- Roadside assist with premium/extended towing coverage is essential. Standard policies may not cover remote towing distances or caravan-specific incidents.
- Ambulance cover is essential in states that charge (everywhere except Queensland and Tasmania). A remote helicopter retrieval without cover can cost $10,000+.
Comment (0)