Frequently asked questions

Once a policy is approved, cover commences from the time indicated on your Certificate of Insurance.

There are specific waiting periods that apply, and these are detailed in the Product Disclosure Statement:

• 2 days for accidental injuries
• 30 days for illnesses
• 6 months for cruciate ligament conditions
• Booster Care (where selected)
  • 6 months for specified dental conditions
  • 30 days for behavioural conditions like anxiety, phobias or compulsive disorders

The waiting period that applies to specialised therapy treatments is based on the condition being treated, whether an illness or an accidental injury.

If, after any applicable waiting period, you’d like Petinsurance.com.au^® to check whether a condition that has been excluded as a pre-existing condition in your policy should continue to be excluded, you can apply to check this using the Pre-existing Condition Review form.

Your vet will need to certify and provide veterinary records verifying that the condition remains a temporary condition and has not existed, occurred or shown noticeable signs, symptoms or an abnormality for a period of 18 months (‘temporary condition').

Petinsurance.com.au^® will let you know in writing whether or not the exclusion still applies.

If your pet has a chronic condition that existed or occurred before the commencement date of your first policy period or during any applicable waiting period, and otherwise falls within the definition of ‘pre-existing condition’, that condition will always be excluded from your policy and will not be lifted.

Once completed, you can email the form back to Petinsurance.com.au^® and you will be notified of the outcome in writing.

Life with pets means accidents can happen. Your Best in Show policy covers a wide range of accidental injuries which, subject to some limitations may include:

• Motor vehicle incidents
• Falls from heights
• Cuts and lacerations
• Near drowning
• Burns
• Heatstroke
• Frostbite
• Snake bites
• Tick paralysis
• Reactions to stings
• Toxicity
• Swallowing foreign objects
• Poisoning

See the relevant Product Disclosure Statement for more information and definitions.

Your Best in Show policy covers a range of illnesses, so you can feel supported if your pet falls ill, excluding selected dental and behavioural conditions. Some limitations may apply.

Examples of illnesses may include:

• Skin allergies
• Ear infections
• Gastrointestinal conditions
• Masses, lumps and cancer
• Eye conditions including conjunctivitis, entropion or cataracts
• Musculoskeletal conditions including arthritis, hip and elbow dysplasia, intervertebral disc disease and patella luxation
• Infectious diseases including heartworm, cat flu, kennel cough and leptospirosis
• Urinary diseases
• Endocrine diseases
• Emergency situations such as seizures and anaphylactic reactions
• Urogenital diseases
• Kidney diseases
• Respiratory diseases including asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia

See the relevant Product Disclosure Statement for more information and definitions.

Pre-existing condition means a condition that first existed or occurred: 

• Prior to the commencement date of the first policy period; or


• Within any applicable waiting period; AND 


• Of which you were aware of, or a reasonable person in your circumstances would have been aware, irrespective of whether the underlying or causative condition has been diagnosed. A pre-existing condition also includes a related condition or bilateral condition of a pre-existing condition.

As with most insurance products, there are certain situations where you will not be covered.

Pre-existing conditions

Pre-existing conditions are health problems that you or a person in similar circumstances would have been aware of before your pet insurance started, or during any applicable waiting period at the start of the policy. Some conditions may be eligible for review after 18 months.

Other general exclusions

General exclusions are not covered under your policy.

Examples:

• Dental care (unless Booster Care is selected) 
• Behavioural conditions (unless Booster Care is selected)
• Desexing (unless Routine Care (non-insurance benefit) is selected)
• Breeding or obstetrics
• Elective treatments (cosmetic procedures, declawing, tail docking)
• Injuries from organised fighting or hunting

Yes, total hip replacements are covered under Best in Show Cover up to your selected annual benefit limit. 

Policy Terms and Conditions, limits, waiting periods, exclusions and excesses apply.

When making a claim, you will be reimbursed up to 70%, 80% or 90% of the eligible vet expenses for your pet, subject to the annual benefit limits listed on your Certificate of Insurance.* If you have selected an annual excess amount, this will also apply. Refer to your Product Disclosure Statement for more information.

Pet insurance can help protect your pal against the unexpected. But, as we all know, they aren’t the only costs that come with owning a pet. In order to keep them happy and healthy, regular vet visits are required, but the good news is we can provide a contribution to those too.

Claim up to $150 per year for routine and preventative pet care.

Includes:

• Desexing
• Vaccinations
• Health checks
• Microchipping 
• Heartworm preventative 
• Prescription diets 
• Puppy pre-school and obedience training 
• Flea, tick and worm control 
• FeLV and FIV, and heartworm tests 
• Wellness blood screen 
• Nail clippings

There are many quick and easy ways to make a claim.

Option 1:  Your Vet submits claim on your behalf

• You can have your Petinurance.com.au^® claim processed on the spot if your Vet clinic is a GapOnly^® reviews and calculates your claim while you’re still in-clinic, so you only have to pay the gap between your pet insurance claim benefit and your vet invoice for eligible claims. Ask your vet or check here to see if they are signed up for GapOnly^® claiming yet.
• Alternatively, many vets can submit your claim on your behalf directly to Petinsurance.com.au^® via the paperless eClaims service. Ask your vet if they can do this for you at the time of settling your invoice.

Option 2:  Submit your claim online

If your vet can’t submit your claim on your behalf, the easiest way to make a claim yourself is through the Pet Portal. To make a claim, you will need the following documentation:

• Itemised invoice (a paid invoice that includes individual treatment items and costs adding up to the total amount paid); and

• Vet consultation notes, if you have them (these are the veterinarian’s medical notes from examination findings).

Petinsurance.com.au^® may also contact you for additional documentation if needed.

Option 3:  Send your claim in the mail

If you would prefer to lodge your claim in the mail, please follow these steps:

Step 1:  Download a claim form and print it out.
Step 2:  Fill in your and your pet’s personal information in Part 1 of the claim form and sign the form.
Step 3:  Take the claim form to your Vet, and have him/her complete the applicable sections. Ensure your Vet includes his/her practice details on the attached invoice.
Step 4:  Attach detailed itemised invoices, payment receipts and any relevant vet consultation notes to the completed claim form and mail it to us at the address below:

Petinsurance.com.au^®
Locked Bag 9021
Castle Hill  NSW 1765 

In some instances, Petinsurance.com.au^® may require more information to process your claim. If this is the case Petinsurance.com.au^® will contact you for this information.

Once Petinsurance.com.au^® receives your claim form and all relevant documentation, Petinsurance.com.au^® will process your claim.

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 you need to do is email claimreview@petsure.com.au 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 this information is received, you can expect a response within two business days. 

Note: A pre-approval will not be deemed to be valid unless Petinsurance.com.au^® has 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.

As long as we continue to provide the product, we’ll offer renewal and/or replacement of your policy every year.

Unless you’ve told us beforehand that you’ve chosen not to automatically renew or not automatically accept the offer of a replacement policy, your policy will automatically renew or, where applicable, your replacement policy will automatically commence on those terms.

We will also remind you that you can opt out of the automatic renewal/replacement process. This way you don’t have to worry about your pet’s cover lapsing, unless you don’t pay the premiums when they are due.

You can cancel your policy with us at any time by contacting our customer service team.

The cancellation will be effective once we provide you with a written confirmation of your request, either by email or letter.

We’ll retain the portion of the premium that relates to the period that you’ve been insured up to your cancellation date. Where you have paid for a period in advance (e.g., for the full fortnight, month or year), we’ll refund that proportion of premium for the time remaining on the policy (less any non-refundable government or statutory charges).

You can choose between multiple annual excess options - $0, $200, $500 or $1,000.

Annual excess is the amount you contribute towards claims each policy period. Once you’ve reached your chosen excess, no further excess applies for the rest of that year. A higher excess can lower your premium, but increase out-of-pocket costs when you claim.

^{Note: $500 excess is not available with the 70% benefit percentage. $1,000 excess not available with the 70% benefit percentage or $7,500 annual benefit limit.}