FAQs

As your pet gets older, unfortunately, they are more prone to illness and health conditions, which may mean you may be inclined to make more claims that weren’t expected or anticipated. This age contribution allows you to still receive a claim benefit, but you will have to contribute towards the bill. The age contribution is part of the Superior and Safety Net – Economy plans.

Examinations, consultations, advice, tests or legally prescribed medication for the following procedures where they treat an illness or injury and referred by and/or carried out by a qualified member of a veterinary practice. This may include; Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Chiropractic manipulation, Hydrotherapy, or Osteopathy.

Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS) is a breed-specific condition that affects short-nosed animals. This illness can cause serious breathing problems and anguish, as well as drastically reduce their quality of life. Bulldogs, Pugs, Boxers, Boston terriers, Shih-tzus, and Persian cats are examples of ‘flat faced’ breeds.

This is a letter confirming your cover and what you are covered for. You will receive this on renewal or when you first join, outlining any exclusions and other specific insurance details that have been applied to your cover.

These are payments you may to pay to reduce your premiums or excess you pay. Co-payments are part of the Mid-Range and Catastrophe plans. Co-Payments are a percentage the policyholder pays towards the eligible vet bill/fee.

When purchasing an insurance policy, your pet’s current health, pre-existing conditions, age, and breed, among other factors, will be considered to determine if your pet is eligible for coverage.

Excess is the amount you pay when making a claim for each unrelated condition per policy period. This amount is shown on your Certificate of Insurance. You can choose to pay a fixed excess only or a fixed excess AND a co-payment/share excess percentage which may reduce your monthly/annual premium. * Noting, other excesses may apply, depending on the type of cover you have, for example, if the Veterinary fees and Alternative treatments are optional extras under your cover.

If your horse is injured or becomes ill, it may never be able to participate in activities again. The previous activities of your horse would have been mentioned in your Certificate of Insurance. As a result, the horse’s use for the previous purposes is no longer possible.

Death or loss of life. Your pet’s health may decline as they age, making them more vulnerable to major health issues, diseases, or illnesses that might result in loss of life. This may also increase the probability of more treatments and medical care as their health declines. 

A document which outlines all the necessary terms and conditions which may impact or affect your policy.

Are specific breeds of dogs which may be more prone to certain health conditions and may suffer from illness or injuries earlier than other breeds.

This is a limitation in your insurance policy that limits the amount of coverage available for a certain loss, condition, or risk within the policy period. A sub-limit, sometimes known as a ‘cap,’ is the highest amount payable / or a percentage of the sum covered for a specific condition or treatment within an overall benefit limit. This is specified in your Certificate of Insurance. 

If your dog (named on your certificate) caused an accident or incident, for example, bodily injury, illness or death, physical loss of or damage to property other than your own, during the time in which you are covered (period of insurance), Petcover may cover your legal liability for the payment of compensation to the third party. Refer to your Product Disclosure Statement – Third Party Liability Section regarding conditions.

Umbrella for Life is a level of cover included in all our Dog and Cat plans except for Economy and valid throughout the pet’s life. Providing peace of mind, you’re able to continue to claim for the treatment for ongoing eligible illness or injuries throughout your pet’s life, provided you continue and renew your policy without any breaks in cover and pay the required premium.

Any examination, consultation, advice, tests, x-rays, diagnostic procedure, surgery and nursing carried out by a Vet, a Veterinary nurse or another member of the veterinary practice under the supervision of a vet. This may also include physiotherapy and treatment of a behavioural illness.

This means the period starting from the date when the policy commenced (excluding renewed policies). This date is shown on your Certificate of Insurance. For example, under the Superior plan for Dogs and Cats, there is a twenty-one day waiting period for illness. With this plan, the waiting period will cease on the twenty-second day of cover. Any illness or condition that occurs or clinical signs of a medical condition or illness shown during this period will be excluded from cover.  You should refer to your Certificate of Insurance and Product Disclosure Statement for waiting periods that apply to your plan.

Petplan PDS’ are available to download here-

Dog & Cat:
Essential Plan
Classic & Ultimate
Target Market Determination (TMD): Essential Plan | Classic & Ultimate

Horse:
Horse & Pony
Third Party Liability
Target Market Determination (TMD): Horse & Pony | Third Party Liability

MS Amlin by Lloyds
(Policies incepted and/or renewed prior to 3 February 2020)
Dog & Cat: Essential Plan
Dog & Cat: Classic & Ultimate

Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd
(Policies incepted and/or renewed prior to 4 April 2017)
Dog & Cat: Classic & Ultimate
Dog & Cat: Target Market Determination (TMD) Classic & Ultimate

Your policy product name will change but your cover, excess, age contributions and premium charged will remain exactly the same as if it were renewed under Petplan.  

Your premium will be charged exactly as it would have been under Petplan.  There are no premium related changes as a result of the change from Petplan to Petcover.   Any change to your renewal premium is following a review of our data.   

All claims will continue to be handled as normal with our team of experts.  If you need to make a claim following your renewal, you can download a claims form here: Make a claim 

Your Policy number will change but remain in a similar format with a series of letters of numbers i.e. ABCD001 changes to ABCD-0003. 

We’ll be sending you the same documents as a standard Petplan renewal; however, the brand name will now show as “Petcover”.   

Yes, ex-racing Greyhounds are covered, including from the Greyhound Adoption Program (GAP).

Any breed of dog that is banned by any Australian Government, Public or Local Authority or any dog that is, or is crossed with, a Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Perro De Presa Canario, Dogo Canario, Dingo, Japanese Tosa, Fila Brasileiro, Czechoslovakian Wolfdog, Saarloos Wolfhound/ Wolfdog or any wolf hybrid. (This list may be modified from time to time). Cover is not provided for racing dogs, working or service dogs, unless they are retired and sold/adopted as pets only.

You can receive a multi-pet discount for 2 or more eligible pets. If you have 2 pets, you can receive a 5% discount, for 3 or more pets a 10% discount can be applied. (The discount does not apply directly to the horse or pony itself).  The discount may be applied to a new policy at time of converting or applied at time of policy renewal. *Pets must meet the eligibility criteria. Cover subject to eligibility criteria, excludes pre-existing conditions, excesses and waiting periods apply. Refer to the Product Disclosure Statement.

Payment can be made annually or monthly via direct debit or credit card, or you can pay for your policy online here.

Petcover policies cover unexpected accidents, injuries and illnesses. Illnesses that occur during the waiting period are not covered; nor are pre-existing conditions. 

Dog policies cover Third Party Liability damage up to $1million, $2million or $5million, depending on your selected plan. Third Party Liability covers any injury or damage caused by an insured dog that the owner may be liable for.

Illnesses for which a vaccine is available are covered, e.g. kennel cough, parvovirus, herpes virus or lepto, providing your pet has been vaccinated and that the vaccination is current. 

Providing that the cancer is not a pre-existing condition or an exclusion on your policy, costs will be covered for treatments such as chemotherapy, however, the costs of transplant surgery or stem cell treatments are not covered.

Illnesses due to tick paralysis are covered and the course of treatment for this illness, under the Superior and Mid-Range plans. If ticks are prevalent in your area, we recommend a preventative course of tick treatment be undertaken to limit the risks to your pets health.

Lifetime cover is available for the life of your pet, provided the cover is renewed each year without a break. The number of times you can claim for the same illness is unlimited, enabling you to give your animal the very best in veterinary care regardless of how much it costs. However, the amount for which you can claim in any one year is capped on an annual basis to the maximum benefit amount stated in your policy, and a fixed excess will apply to any claims made. For Lifetime pet insurance cover, the excess is payable per unrelated condition (illness), per policy year. With a genuine Lifetime plan you receive a comprehensive pet insurance policy that will cover your pet’s conditions for life!

 Physiotherapy will be covered when referred and endorsed by your vet, and it is deemed necessary to treat an injury and/or illness. Other alternative treatments and therapies covered are acupuncture, homeopathy, herbal medicine, chiropractic manipulation, osteopathy and hydrotherapy for up to 10 sessions in total per period of insurance, up to the annual maximum benefit of your selected plan if they are to treat an injury or illness. 

Whether you have a cat or dog insurance policy, you must take reasonable precautions to maintain your pet’s health throughout the policy year; to prevent any illness, injury or loss. Therefore, you must arrange and pay for your pet to have an annual dental examination and general check-up (including vaccinations) and follow any veterinary advice given by a vet in order to prevent oral disease. By continuing with these regular check-ups, it shows that you have played your part in caring for your dog or cat, so we can play ours. If you fail to have a dental check and follow any veterinary advice given at the time, it may affect a claim for a dental related condition. 

Your pet will be covered for anywhere within Australia and for up to 90 days for all journeys in the period of insurance. This includes the duration of your holiday or business trip and any travel, in and between Australia and an agreed country and return journey home.

Get in touch with us as soon as possible to action the cancellation. Cancellations cannot be backdated and will be handled in line with the policy terms and conditions.

At policy commencement, there might be limited cover of a condition, for a period of time, based on what your pet suffered from before coming onto the cover.

Just as some dogs cost more to feed, some also cost more in veterinary care. We call these ‘select breeds’. 

The following dogs are considered ‘select breeds’: bandog, Bavarian mountain hound, Bergamasco shepherd dog, Briard, Bloodhound, Boerboel, Beauceron, Bernese mountain dog, Bracco, all bulldogs (i.e. English, American, Australian, Miniature, etc.), Bull Arab, Deerhound, Dogue de Bordeaux, Entlebucher mountain dog, Estrela mountain dog, Grand Blue de Gascoigne, Great Dane, Greater Swiss mountain dog, Hamiltonstovare, Hungarian Kuvasz, Irish wolfhound, Komondor, Maremma Sheepdog, Leonberger, All mastiff breeds, Newfoundland, Old English sheepdog, Polish lowland sheepdog, Pyrenean mountain dog, Rottweiler, Russian black terrier, Shar Pei, St Bernard or any crosses of these breeds. 

Customer’s insuring Shar Pei’s will be asked to provide a full clinical history from the vet before cover is offered. 

A decrease in benefits can be made at any time whilst an increase needs to occur at renewal. 

Some policies have optional extra death benefits and /or day-to-day benefits.

Both fixed term excess and % excess policies are offered, depending on your budget and/or the level of risk that you wish to assume. A fixed excess means that you pay a prescribed amount of any claim.

This is the amount that you pay for each condition/accident claimed.

Any accident, injury or illness which has already happened or is showing clinical signs prior to commencement of cover; is classed as pre-existing. Any illness that occurs in the first 21 days or 28 days of cover (waiting period, please check the PDS if you are unsure) or are pre-existing conditions are not covered. If your pet was injured or ill at any time before the commencement of your insurance, cover won’t be given for any costs relating to that injury or illness. This applies regardless of whether or not any exclusions are placed for the injury or illness in your certificate of insurance. 

Pro-rata refunds are offered for cover already paid for that occurs after a cancellation date; this amount minus any fees will be refunded to the account where the original payment was made from.

Cancellations can be done via writing; either complete the online form here or email us at loyalty.au@petcovergroup.com
or by phone on 1300 731 324

Your policy can be cancelled at any time; however, you may have to wait if there are claims pending. 

Supplements can provide an additional drug-free treatment option for a number of conditions; however, these products can often be obtained without any required veterinary involvement. Many can be purchased without either a prescription from a veterinarian, or without being directly dispensed by a veterinarian, and many can be purchased online without the pet ever seeing a veterinarian.

Under the policies available, the cost of medications that can only be legally obtained via a veterinary prescription, or by being directly dispensed by a veterinarian will be covered. As supplements do not fulfil these criteria, the cost of these are unable to be covered under the policy.

The Age Excess is a percentage of the payable value of each and every claim, after any applicable fixed excess, deductions, and share excess/co-payment, that will be withheld.

An age excess of 20% is applied when your policy renews once your pet turns 8 years old for standard breeds and 4 years old for select breeds.

An age excess of 35% is applied when your policy renews once your pet turns 10 years old for standard breeds and 7 years old for select breeds.

The Share Excess or Co-Payment is a percentage of the payable value of each and every claim, after any applicable fixed excess or deductions, that will be withheld. This is an option you can select to reduce your premium.

The fixed excess is the amount, as shown on your certificate of insurance, that is withheld for each unrelated claim within the policy period. This is the threshold that the claim needs to reach before you can be reimbursed for your claim.

Hydrotherapy, when used as a complimentary treatment for a musculoskeletal condition, can be claimed under the policy. Up to 10 individual sessions (inclusive of other alternative/complimentary sessions, and subject to the maximum benefit) can be claimed in the policy period. The sessions must be performed either at a veterinary practice with the appropriate facilities, or at a registered hydrotherapy business.

Payment is not provided for any sessions that have not yet been completed. If sessions have been purchased in bulk, treatments that have already been completed can only be paid for.  (As per above)

Physiotherapy is a claimable treatment under some of our plans (refer to your PDS), when carried out by a registered Physiotherapist with post-graduate qualifications in animal/veterinary Physiotherapy or a member of the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) Animal Physiotherapy Group (APG). Payment cannot be provided for physiotherapy sessions that have not been completed, in the event of a bulk purchase (ie/ buy 10 sessions at a reduced rate) as this would be considered pre-approval (refer FAQ on pre-approval).  If you have bulk purchased 10 sessions, you can only claim either after each completed session, or at the conclusion when all 10 sessions have been completed.

If dental treatment is needed for your pet as a direct result of an accident, illness or injury you may be able to claim for this, so long as your pet has had its annual dental check-ups and any advice provided has been followed.

Cover is not provided for routine, preventative or elective treatments. These treatments are expected and can be budgeted for. Cover is provided for unexpected injuries and illnesses. Examples of routine, preventative or elective dental include, but are not limited to: Scale & Polish, Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment & Treatment (COHAT), routine check-ups.

Third Party Liability Claims are not the same as a regular claim. If you find yourself in a position where your liability may come in to question you should:

• Not admit liability or make any offer to pay;
• Exchange details with the other party or parties and obtain names and addresses of any witnesses.
• Notify us as soon as possible after the event;
• Send us any and all documentation relating to the event, including any legal documents you may be issued with.

These claims are not assessed by Petcover. They are assessed by your policy underwriter’s disputes and possibly legal department. As a result, these types of claims may take longer that usual to be assessed and finalised. We will keep you up to date with any progress and communicate with you should additional information be required.

For an injury where your dog has been bitten by another dog, the claiming process is similar to regular claims in that we need the itemised invoice and the treatment history, but instead of the standard claim form, we require a dog bite claim form to be completed and submitted.

This dog bite claim form provides us with additional details surrounding the bite injury that is usually not captured by the treating veterinarian in the clinical history.

If it is the first claim for either the policy, or for the condition you need to send us your pet’s clinical history as well as the treatment plan or behaviour modification plan specified by your vet.

If the claim is an ongoing condition, an updated history and treatment plan / behaviour modification plan may need to be provided, every 6 months.

If claims rise annually due to an increase in veterinary procedures and treatments, then premiums also increase. For example, a pet owner with a three-year-old French Bulldog will be affected by the trends we see in our data from all three-year-old French Bulldogs that are covered, as well as the specific claims history of their own pet.  

If your pet is not vaccinated, and the illness is not vaccine preventable, you can claim. However, if your pet has an illness that is vaccine preventable then you will not be able to claim

Preventative, routine or elective treatments are not covered. These treatments are expected and can be budgeted for. Cover is provided for unexpected injuries and illnesses.  

Petcover works with its insurance partners to be one of the only pet insurance providers that will cover behavioural treatment costs, following veterinary diagnosis. Cover is included, subject to waiting periods and exclusions as part of our Superior Products. With our Mid-Range products, it is available only if the $50 Optional Day to Day Care Benefit was added to your policy at the time of application.

Yes, the costs will be covered for diagnostics even if a diagnosis is not made.

As a responsible organisation and advocate of responsible pet ownership, Petcover wouldn’t do anything to discourage our customers from getting their dog or cat treated when they are unwell or injured. It is for this reason that there is no offering of a no claims discount.

It’s best to submit your claim as soon as your pet has received treatment. However, you are required to submit a claim within 12 months of your invoice for the relevant accident, injury or illness treatment. 

You can claim for the treatment costs for veterinary fees attributed to accidents, injuries or illnesses which may happen to your pet, provided the condition did not occur prior to cover. After the cover has commenced, cover for injuries and accidents starts immediately on sign up (providing the injury did not occur prior to cover commencement); illness cover begins after the 21 days or 28 days waiting period dependent on your plan. Please check your PDS if you are not sure.

An accident is a sudden, unexpected, unusual specific event that occurs fortuitously at an identifiable time and place and is unforeseen and unintended. It is not of a gradual nature.

We send an email to confirm the claim outcome.

The costs of hereditary and congenital disorders are covered, providing the pet had not shown clinical signs of the condition prior to cover commencing; or within the 21 day or 28 day waiting period (please check the PDS if you are not sure), and it is not excluded in your policy documentation or certificate of insurance.

Possible holds ups can be due to incomplete documentation. Please note that all first claims will require a full veterinary history.

We are unable to pre-approve claims, as before the treatment is made, there is no invoice (financial loss) and no supporting treatment notes.

We are unable to advise whether cover and payment will be provided for a claim before the treatment has been performed and the claim has been submitted. This is because we need to review the treatment provided and the full history of the pet to determine whether the condition and treatment can be claimable under the policy.

We will be able to advise you if specific medications, tests, or procedures can be considered, and we are able to advise you if something is not covered under your policy, but we are unable to provide you with pre-approval for any claim.

You are free to use the registered veterinarian of your choice.

Pay Direct to Vet is offered, whereby you can elect to have your claim paid directly to your vet. You will need to have an agreement in place with your vet before submitting the claim and you will need to pay any applicable excess and not covered items direct to your vet and the balance will be paid. Your vet can even submit your claim on your behalf.

Once we have all the complete information, claims are usually settled within 48 hours.

Claim forms for pets are available to download from our make a claim page. Send the completed form along with the invoice and vet notes to claims.au@petcovergroup.com

Update card details online, contact the office accounts.au@petcovergroup.com or call us on 1300 731 324.

Your policy document’s terms and conditions will detail the exclusions specific to your policy and their exclusion review waiting period.  When your exclusion review waiting period has elapsed, simply ask your vet to send your pet’s full history via email to: info.au@petcovergroup.com

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

2: Advancements in veterinary treatments.
The overall cost of medical treatment for pets has risen in recent years due to the increased availability of medical treatments, technology-enabled services and the ongoing demand for these services, providing pet’s a longer and healthier life.
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.

Please see ‘How do you calculate my premium’ for more information about calculation of premiums. 

Pet insurance does not work like private health insurance. Health insurance is ‘community rated’, which means that everyone pays the same premium for the same health insurance, regardless of their individual health status, age or claims history. This is not the case for pet insurance. 

Health insurance providers are able to ‘community rate’ health insurance because there are other contributing factors in the human health care system, such as Medicare and government rebates and subsidies, which is not the case with veterinary care and pet insurance. 

Pet insurance claim reimbursements are paid for by the premiums received by those who insure their pets. To ensure each person pays a fair price for their pet insurance, premiums vary depending on the risk factors for you and your pet. 

There is no discount for paying annually; the direct debit cost incurs no additional charge.

Premiums are based on the risk profile of your pet. This is commonly based on pet breed and age as these are the determining factors.