National Seniors Pet Insurance

While National Seniors is a seniors-advocacy group, adults of any age can support their work by purchasing pet insurance through them.

They take all the guesswork out of buying insurance by offering one straightforward, yet customisable policy that covers your dog or cat for a wide range of illnesses and injuries.

What cover options does National Seniors offer?

National seniors keeps it simple by offering one level of cover. It's called Illness and Injury cover and it will protect your dog or cat if they get sick or get injured in an accident.

You can also upgrade your cover with the Tender Loving Care package, which will help out with routine treatments like microchipping, vaccinations and teeth cleaning.

National Seniors does not currently offer accident-only cover or insure pets that are 9 years old or older.

Illness and Injury cover

National Seniors' Illness and Injury cover will pay 80% of your vet costs toward all eligible illnesses and injuries covered under your policy, up to a maximum of $12,000 total per year.

In addition to covering illness and injury, the policy also includes the following additional benefits:

• Choose your own excess. You get to choose whether your excess is $0, $100 or $200. This gives you the flexibility to lower your premiums by increasing the excess and vice versa.
• Euthanasia. If a vet says you need to put your pet down, your National Seniors will pay 80% of the bill just as they would with other illnesses and injuries.
• Emergency boarding. This gives you up to $1,000 to board your pet if you are unexpectedly hospitalised. You don't have to pay an excess on it.
• Overseas protection. Your policy covers your pet when they're travelling with you to New Zealand or Norfolk Island.

Tender Loving Care Package

For an additional premium, you can add the Tender Loving Care package to your Illness and Injury cover. This will pay you $100 total (excess doesn't apply) for routine care treatments including:

What won't your policy cover?

You National Seniors Illness and Injury cover has a list of situations your policy will not cover. These include:

• Extra charges related to after-hours treatment or house-calls in non-emergency situations
• Injuries that were caused by your pet's behaviour problems like an anxiety disorder
• Ambulance rides or boarding expenses related to your pet's illness or injury
• Any illness or injury that happens when you use your pet commercially, such as using your pet for hunting, guarding or racing
• Injury or illness due to lack of care or that you or someone living with you deliberately inflicted on the pet
• Dental care except for the teeth cleaning benefit in the Tender Loving Care package
• Treatment for the following conditions: dislocated kneecap, elbow dysplasia, intervertebral disc disease, any widespread pandemic and any damage from worms, fleas, ticks and mites (other than paralysis ticks)
• Artificial limbs
• Pre-existing conditions other than the ones National Seniors has agreed to waive
• Any treatment that is a result of not vaccinating your pet

How do you make a claim?

To make a claim, gather all of your relevant paperwork including itemised invoices, clinical notes from all vets involved and a full veterinary history if it's your first claim.

Then call National Seniors on 1800 319 497. They will lodge your claim and if they accept it, they'll deposit your refund into your nominated bank account.

Your questions answered

• Do you have to be a senior to be eligible?

  No, adults of any age can take out insurance through National Seniors. You'll be supporting an organisation that lobbies governments and businesses on behalf of older Australians.

• Does this policy cover pre-existing conditions?

  This policy will not cover any condition that your pet had before you purchased cover. However, you can ask National Seniors to waive a pre-existing condition as long as your pet has been free from the condition for at least 18 months and your vet can certify that this is the case. To ask for a waiver, you'll need to complete a waiver form and submit it to National Seniors along with your vet's certification.

• Can you get a discount?

  Yes, National Seniors offer a $50 discount if you apply online. You can also save up to 5% if you insure more than one pet.

• Are there any waiting periods?

  There is a 6-month waiting period for all treatments related to cruciate ligament damage and a 30-day waiting period for everything else.

• How often do you need to pay your premiums?

  You can choose to pay your premiums on a fortnightly, monthly or yearly basis.