Petplan pet insurance

Since the company's beginnings more than 35 years ago in the UK, PetPlan has grown to become the largest and most experienced pet insurance pet insurance provider in the world. Now available in Australia, Petplan offers four pet insurance policies to help you pay the vet bills for your cat and dog: Essential, Classic 1, Classic 2 and Ultimate.

Underwritten by Allianz Australia, these policies cover vet bills for injuries, accidents and illnesses, as well as third party liability expenses, loss by theft and complementary therapies. Keep reading to learn more about what is covered under the different PetPlan policies.

What are the different levels of cover?

Petplan offers four levels of cover to suit a range of budgets: Essential, Classic 1, Classic 2 and Ultimate.

Cover is also available for alternative or complementary treatments, advertising and reward for a lost pet, loss by theft or straying, death from illness or injury, and holiday cancellation costs if your pet goes missing or needs surgery.

Petplan even offers horse insurance to provide cover for the cost of your horse’s veterinary treatment, as well as death from injury or illness or loss by theft or straying.

• Essential. When your pet requires veterinary treatment for injury, accident or illness, this policy provides $7,000 of cover. Offering cover for a 12-month period, Petplan Essential Pet Insurance includes $1,000 of complementary therapies cover and $1 million of third party liability cover (for dogs only). Other features include a lump sum benefit if your pet dies from illness or injury (this is an optional extra) as well as boarding your pet while you are hospitalised, advertising for a lost pet and holiday cancellation fees when you cannot travel due to your pet’s health.
• Classic 1. This mid-level policy offers cover for life, which means that as long as you renew your policy each year, there is no time limit during over the life of your pet during which you can claim for illness or injury. The maximum amount you can claim for veterinary fees rises to $10,000 for dogs and $9,000 for cats under this policy, while there’s also $2,000 of complementary therapies cover and $3 million of liability protection. Other features include cover for boarding fees, advertising costs, quarantine expenses and optional lump sum death payments.
• Classic 2. This policy offers the same cover as the Classic 1 policy but to a higher level: you can receive up to $15,000 of cover for your dog’s vet bills and $10,000 worth of cover for your cat. This policy offers cover for life.
• Ultimate. Ultimate Pet Insurance from Petplan offers $20,000 for the treatment of accidents, illness and injuries for dogs and $15,000 for cats. The level of third party liability cover rises to $5 million and the amount of complementary therapies cover rises to $4,000. Ultimate Insurance provides all the same benefits as the other three policies but to a higher or identical level. In addition, some benefits which are offered as optional extras on other policies, such as loss by theft or straying and a death benefit, are included as standard. This policy also offers cover for life.
• Horse Insurance. Petplan Equine Insurance offers cover for veterinary fees, death from illness or injury, loss by theft or straying, disposal following humane destruction or death, saddlery and tack, and horse floats and horse-drawn vehicles.

How much does it cost?

There are several factors that will influence the cost of your Petplan Pet Insurance premiums, including:

• The breed of your pet. Dogs cost more to insure than cats, and Petplan covers a higher proportion of dog vet bills than it does for cats. You’ll also have to consider the fact that certain breeds cost more to cover - for example, a Great Dane will typically have higher veterinary bills than a Maltese.
• The policy you choose. The lower your level of cover, the less you will have to pay for premiums. Essential Pet Insurance from Petplan will cost you less than the higher level of cover available with an Ultimate Pet Insurance policy.
• Where you live. You may live in an area where you are statistically more likely to have your pet stolen, or where there may be a higher risk of your pet getting hit by a car. This will be reflected in the premium you pay.
• Your claims history. Your cover will cost more if you have previously made a claim for your pet.

What isn’t covered?

Petplan will not provide any cover if:

• Your claim is for a condition that is specifically excluded from cover on your certificate of insurance.
• Your pet is less than eight weeks old at the time cover commences.
• Your claim is for a pre-existing condition or for an illness that starts in the first 21 days of cover.
• Your claim is for death from an illness or disease that occurs after your pet’s eighth birthday.
• Your claim is for routine treatment or preventative care, such as a vet check-up.
• Your claim is for the cost of an elective procedure or treatment, such as desexing.
• Your dog is used for guarding or track racing.
• Your dog’s breed is banned in Australia or your dog has been declared dangerous by a government authority.
• Your claim is connected to your pet being confiscated or destroyed by any government, public or local authority.
• Your claim is caused by you breaking animal health or importation laws.
• Your claim is caused by a malicious act, deliberate injury or gross negligence by you.
• Your claim is for an illness that your pet contracted while outside Australia or New Zealand.
• Your claim relates to a disease transmitted from animals to humans.
• Your claim is for a dog not vaccinated against distemper, hepatitis, kennel cough, leptospirosis (in areas where it is recommended) and parvovirus
• Your claim is for a cat not vaccinated against feline infectious enteritis, feline leukaemia and cat flu

How do I make a claim?

If you wish to make a claim on your Petplan policy, all you have to do is download a claim form from the Petplan website, complete the form and then submit it to Petplan. Make sure to fill out all the relevant details on your form, and in some cases your vet will need to fill out certain details.

You’ll need to submit your claim form along with copies of itemised receipts and invoices. Claims can be submitted by post or by email.

FAQs

• Does Petplan offer a no claims discount?

  No, there is no such discount available from Petplan.

• Why do some breeds of dog cost more to insure than others?

  Veterinary care costs more to provide to certain breeds than it does to others. Some breeds which may cost extra to insure include Bulldogs, Great Danes and Rottweilers.

• Can Petplan pay my vet bill direct to the vet?

  Yes, this option is available if your vet is happy to complete and sign the Direct Payment section on your Petplan claim form.

• Can I claim if my pet is unvaccinated?

  You cannot make a claim if your pet suffers an illness for which there is a vaccine available. However, you will still be able to claim if your pet suffers an unrelated illness.

• Is my pet covered for paralysis ticks?

  Yes, the cost of paralysis tick treatment is covered.

• Can I claim for desexing or vaccinations?

  No, pet insurance is designed to cover unexpected vet expenses, not routine or preventative expenses that you can plan and budget for.

If you want to ensure that your pet always gets the highest level of care, the pet insurance options offered by Petplan are well worth considering. However, it’s vital that you compare policies from a range of insurers before deciding on just one.