Pet insurance claims considerations
Things you may not know about making a pet insurance claimBefore we can help, we’ll need to know the type of pet insurance you have with us. So, take a look at the below options and we’ll go from there…
Before making a claim
Your pet needs you most if they become ill or get injured - we're here to help
You'll find full details in your policy documents, but we've covered some key points below
- Here, we've highlighted some of the key aspects of your policy - you can find full details in your policy documents.
Pre-existing medical conditions
What's covered and what's not when it comes to medical conditions
We want to help your pet on the way to recovery, but we can't provide cover for any pre-existing medical conditions. These include:
- Any signs of illness
- Injury
- Behavioural problems
Don't forget there's a 14 day waiting period before illnesses are covered on your policy, and a 48 hour waiting period for accidents.
Variable excess
Because older pets are more likely to need treatment and pet insurance premiums can increase, we've added a variable excess
- This reduces the cost of claims we pay, so we can keep your premiums lower. If you need to make a claim this is when you would pay the excess
- If you need to make a claim on a Lifetime policy you only pay the variable excess once your dog reaches 8 or your cat turns 10. The fixed and any voluntary excess will be deducted and then you'll pay 20 per cent of the remaining vet fees
Dental care
Your policy doesn't cover the cost of any dental maintenance, but it's always a good idea to look after your pet's teeth and gums
Time limited policies
We'll cover the cost of dental care if:
- The treatment's needed because of an injury
- It's to remove first teeth after your pet's more than six months old, as long as your pet was insured with us before they were 16 weeks old
Lifetime policies
All the benefits of the Time limited policy as well as:
- Further teeth and gum treatment if the condition wasn't preventable
- You'll need to make sure your pet has had annual check-ups and any routine and preventative treatment your vet recommends, such as teeth descaling
Related conditions
Health problems as a result of previous symptoms or conditions
Health conditions can be related when one of a pair (e.g. eyes, ears, knees) is affected by an injury or illness. Let's say for example Kylie the Labrador ruptures her left knee ligament then seven months later ruptures her right knee ligament, we'd considered these as one condition.
Time limited policies
The Time limited policies cover conditions for 12 months and up to the chosen vet fee limit from when they're first treated.
- You wouldn't have to pay another excess
- In this example, you'd only have five months of cover remaining and however much of the remaining chosen vet fee limit for the treatment of her right ligament
Lifetime policies
The Lifetime policies cover the cost of all treatments covered up to the chosen vet fee limit per policy year and then resets when you renew.
- You wouldn't have to pay another fixed excess as long as the treatment started in the same policy year
- In this example, any balance from your first vet fee claim left over would cover other claims for Kylie, until renewal, at which point the cover would reset to your chosen vet fee limit again.
Related conditions
Health problems linking back to previous symptoms or a previously diagnosed condition are also treated as related.
Suppose Kylie the Labrador goes on to get arthritis in her knees three years later because of her knee ligament repairs:
Time limited policies
- There wouldn't be any cover for the arthritis as more than 12 months has passed since the start of the treatment for her first (left) ligament rupture
Lifetime policies
- Assuming you'd made no other pet claims for Kylie that year, you'd have the full vet fee chosen limit of cover for her arthritis treatment