Skip Navigation
Home > FAQ’s

Pet Insurance FAQs

Have a question about pet insurance? Find your answer here.

What is pet insurance?

Pet insurance helps to protect your pet should they suffer an unexpected illness or accidental injury. While you may be able to budget for the ongoing day-to-day expenses of keeping your pet healthy, an unforeseen sickness or injury can quickly mount up to thousands of dollars in vet bills, and that’s where pet insurance can help.

Is pet insurance worth it?

Insurance is the one thing we pay for that we hope we never need to use. But when needed, pet owners are relieved to have it, because you can never predict when something might happen to your pet.

Pet insurance can help pet owners when it comes to their pet’s health care costs. A pet owner can potentially claim up to $30,000 per year through their pet insurance, depending on the type of policy they have taken out.

What does pet insurance cover?

While there are small variations between pet insurance policies, there are three main types of cover:

Accidental Injury Only policies cover stated events such as broken bones or motor vehicle incidents.

Combined Accidental Injury and Illness policies, also cover sickness, which can range from short term infections to major surgery.

There are also various Stated Events policies such as illness cover for indoor cats and ‘major events’ policies that cover specified accidental injuries and illnesses.

How much does pet insurance cost?

Your premium is calculated using a few details such as the breed and age of your pet, and the type of cover you have chosen.

For example, a nine-year-old Great Dane and a one-year-old Jack Russell Terrier have very different vet expenses, so you would expect to pay a different premium for these two pets.

You should also be aware that your premium will be recalculated when your policy renews. See “Will my premium increase every year?” for more information.

If you have a current policy and would like further detailed information regarding how your premium is calculated, please refer to your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS).

How much will I get back from a pet insurance claim?

How much you get back depends on the policy you choose. Most policies cover an agreed percentage of the claim, and you cover the rest.

Most policies are based on what’s called a ‘benefit percentage’ reimbursement. For example, an 80% benefit percentage means that if your eligible vet bill comes to $1,000, your pet insurance policy will reimburse $800 and you pay the other $200 (subject to any exclusions, excess or applicable limit). But it’s up to you. You can look for a policy with a different benefit percentage, from as high as 100% where the insurance pays the total amount of the eligible vet bill, to as low as 50% where you cover the other 50%.

If you have a current policy and would like further detailed information regarding your coverage, please refer to your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Certificate of Insurance (COI).

How long do I have to submit a claim after my pet has had treatment?

You can submit a pet insurance claim for your pet’s treatment anytime (there is no time limit to submitting a claim for your pet).

What is an excess?

To help reduce your pet insurance premium costs, you may choose to add an excess to To help reduce your pet insurance premium costs, you may choose to add an excess to your policy. An ‘excess’ is a sum that you pay once per condition, per policy period (typically ranging from $50-$500).

The excess is deducted from your claim payment, which is calculated using your benefit percentage. For example, on an eligible vet bill of $1,000 with an 80% benefit percentage (amounting to $800) and an excess of $100, your pet insurance covers $700 and you pay $300 to the vet.

If your pet has an ear condition that requires three visits to the vet in the same policy period, you’ll only be charged one excess fee for the ear condition as it’s to treat the same condition. However, your benefit percentage and any applicable limit would still apply on each of those visits. In your next policy period, the excess will reset and reapply to each condition you claim.

If you have a current policy and would like further detailed information regarding your excess, please refer to your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Certificate of Insurance (COI).

What is a pre-existing condition?

A pre-existing condition refers to any health condition (diagnosed or otherwise) that your pet has shown signs of before the purchase of a pet insurance policy (or within any applicable waiting period), meaning the condition may not be covered under the policy.

As some conditions can be cured with treatment and don’t require ongoing care however, pre-existing conditions are assessed differently depending on whether they are considered a temporary or a chronic condition where the condition occurred or showed signs before the purchase of a pet insurance policy or during any applicable waiting period.

A temporary pre-existing condition is a pet health condition that usually resolves with treatment. A temporary pre-existing condition is removed from your policy automatically as an exclusion if your pet hasn’t shown signs of that condition for a specified period of time.

A chronic pre-existing condition is a pet health condition that requires ongoing care or is more prolonged in nature, so if your pet displays one of these conditions prior to purchasing a pet insurance policy or its applicable waiting period, it will never be covered under the policy.

Some of these conditions may include:
• Cruciate ligament conditions
• Intervertebral disc disease
• Hip dysplasia
• Elbow dysplasia
• Patella luxation
• Endocrine diseases
• Any other chronic condition.

An important reminder that these exclusions only relate to pre-existing conditions. If your pet requires treatment for a condition that first presented with signs or occurred after the purchase of a pet insurance policy and its applicable waiting period(s), all conditions outlined in the policy’s Product Disclosure Statement will be eligible for cover, subject to the policy terms and conditions.

Please refer to the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) of the pet insurance policy for more details or visit our article on pre-existing conditions here.

Does pet insurance cover pre-existing conditions?

If your pet required treatment for a condition that first presented with signs that occurred before the purchase of a pet insurance policy or before its waiting period has been served, the condition will generally be excluded from cover.

Insurance policies are there to protect against the unexpected so for this reason, claims relating to pre-existing conditions are generally not covered. This helps keep coverage fair for all customers.

As some conditions can be cured with treatment and don’t require ongoing care however, pre-existing conditions are assessed differently depending on whether they are considered a temporary or a chronic condition where the condition occurred or showed signs before the purchase of a pet insurance policy or during any applicable waiting period.

Please refer to ‘What is a pre-existing condition’ above for more information or refer to your pet insurance policy’s Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for more details.

What is a temporary pre-existing condition?

A temporary pre-existing condition is a pet health condition that usually resolves itself with treatment. A temporary pre-existing condition is automatically removed as an exclusion from your policy if your pet hasn’t shown signs or symptoms of that condition for a specified period of time.

Please refer to the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) of the pet insurance policy for more details or visit our article on pre-existing conditions here.

What is a chronic pre-existing condition?

A chronic condition is a pet health condition that requires ongoing care that affects a pet for a period greater than three months in total, so if your pet displays one of these conditions prior to the purchase of a pet insurance policy or during the applicable waiting period, it will never be covered under the policy.

Some of these conditions may include:
• Cruciate ligament conditions
• Intervertebral disc disease
• Hip dysplasia
• Elbow dysplasia
• Patella luxation
• Endocrine diseases
• Any other chronic condition.

An important reminder that these exclusions only relate to pre-existing conditions. If your pet requires treatment for a condition that first presented with signs or occurred after the purchase of a pet insurance policy and its waiting period, all conditions outlined in the policy’s Product Disclosure Statement will be eligible for cover, subject to the terms and conditions of the policy.

Please refer to the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) of the pet insurance policy for more details or visit our article on pre-existing conditions here.

What is a bilateral condition?

A bilateral condition is one that affects body parts of which the pet has at least two, one on each side of the body, such as eyes, ears and cruciate ligaments. Bilateral conditions will generally be covered if you have the appropriate level of cover, and the condition is not a pre-existing condition, subject to any applicable limits.

However, when applying a benefit limit (or any other limit) or exclusion, a bilateral condition will be considered a single condition. For example, if your pet displays signs or symptoms of a cruciate ligament condition in the left leg prior to taking out your policy or during the waiting period (a pre-existing condition), vet expenses for a subsequent cruciate ligament condition in the right leg will not be covered.

Will my premium increase every year?

Yes, your premium will increase each year. This is for two main reasons:

Aging pets
Just like humans, the older our pets get, the more likely they are to have health hiccups. Cats and dogs age faster than we do, which means that their likely veterinary treatment costs go up rapidly each year too. As a result, the cost of insuring your pet will also increase as they get older.

Advancements in veterinary treatments
The overall cost of medical treatment for pets has increased in recent years due to the increased availability of medical treatments, improved technology, and ongoing demand for these services. While this is great news for the care of our pets, these treatments come at a significant cost. Year on year treatment costs increase, and this is factored into the cost of pet insurance.

Are insurance premiums the same across all breeds?

To keep pet insurance fair for all customers, high risk breeds pay a higher premium than low risk breeds. Some breeds are prone to various health problems whereas others remain relatively healthy over their lifespan. We assess this based on years of claims and veterinary data.

Your premium will be affected by data relating to the health of pets that are a similar age and breed. Premiums also increase as pets age. This is because, as pets age, the risk of suffering from age related conditions are much higher.

When will my claim be paid?

In most cases if all required documents have been received, claims are assessed within five business days.

If your vet is GapOnly® enabled, your vet could submit a GapOnly® claim on your behalf, and it’s assessed in around 10 minutes. Once the claim has been assessed and approved by your insurer, you simply pay the gap and go. You can find out more about GapOnly® here: www.gaponly.com.au

The gap is the difference between the vet bill and the claim benefit calculated under your policy.

If your insurance provider has a Customer Service Portal, you can also track your claim’s progress online.

Does pet insurance cover dental conditions?

Some of our policies include cover for dental conditions, and others may offer an optional benefit (that you pay additional premium for). Optional cover may be in the form of a dental illness add on, or a small contribution under the non-insurance Routine Care option. This means pet owners can choose to only pay for the cover they want.

Note that dental conditions are generally excluded from cover under most policies, and you should check the Product Disclosure Statement or insurers website for more information on available options.

Can I visit any Vet?

Yes, you can visit any Vet (other than yourself) that is licensed to legally practice as a Veterinarian in Australia. Please note, although it is rare, if expenses incurred by you with respect to the treatment significantly exceed what is reasonable and expected, having regard to the circumstances in which the treatment was provided, then claim payments may be adjusted to the amount of reasonable and expected expenses.

If your pet requires treatment, you can seek a claim Pre-approval for extra peace of mind. Learn more about Pre-approvals on our Policy Tool Hub here

Can I cancel my policy?

We’re sorry to hear you’re thinking of leaving. You can cancel your pet insurance at any time. If you do decide to cancel, your insurer will issue a pro-rata refund for the uninsured period where premiums are paid annually, less any applicable government or statutory charges. If you pay by instalments, your insurer will not deduct any further premiums after the date of cancellation.

We understand circumstances can change and would like to help keep your cover active. Please contact your insurer directly to discuss your specific circumstances and options. Find your insurer.

How can I find out if my pet is covered by pet insurance prior to treatment?

You can check out the Pet portal for a summary of your coverage or refer to your PDS and Certificate of Insurance for all your coverage information.

Pre-approvals aren’t mandatory, but can provide you with additional reassurance, so if you want to know if an upcoming or specific treatment for your pet will be covered, all we need is for you to email us on [email protected] with the following:
•Policy number or policy holder and pet name
•Name of the condition being treated and the proposed procedure
•Name of your regular vet and the vet where the procedure will take place
•An itemised estimate of costs relating to the procedure (optional- if you have it!) 
             
Once we receive this information, you can expect to hear back from us within two business days.

Note: A pre-approval will not be deemed to be valid unless we have agreed to it in writing. The reimbursed amount may vary from the pre-approval if the treatment provided by your vet differs from the treatment request in the pre-approval.