FAQs

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”.   

We do offer pro-rata refunds 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 accounts.au@petcovergroup.com
or by phone on 1300 731 324

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

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. 

Petcover 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.

We will cover illnesses for which a vaccine is available 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, we will cover the costs of the treatments such as chemotherapy. We do not cover the costs of transplant surgery or stem cell treatments.

Yes, we cover for the treatment of paralysis tick treatment. And it is not limited to a set amount or number of incidents per year. 

Petcover has Lifetime insurance 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 Petcover 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!

Yes, Petcover will cover physiotherapy 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. 

Yes, Petcover will cover your pet 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, Petcover may limit 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 we are able to insure them. 

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

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

Petcover offers both fixed excess and % excess policies, 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, we will not cover any costs relating to that injury or illness. This applies regardless of whether or not we place any exclusions for the injury or illness in your certificate of insurance. 

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.

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 we insure, 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

Petcover does not cover preventative, routine or elective treatments. These treatments are expected and can be budgeted for. We provide insurance for unexpected injuries and illnesses.  

Petcover is one of the only pet insurance providers that will cover behavioural treatment costs, following veterinary diagnosis. 

Yes, Petcover will cover the cost of diagnostics even if a diagnosis is not made.

As a responsible pet insurer 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 we do not offer 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. 

Petcover covers 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.

Yes, Petcover will cover the costs of hereditary and congenital disorders, 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.

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

Petcover can pay your vet directly as long as the following criteria is met:
– The treating veterinarian/clinic are happy to accept payment this way.
– Petcover is happy to pay the particular treating veterinarian/clinic this way. 

We are unable to direct any treating veterinarian/clinic to accept direct payment on your behalf. Your treating veterinarian/clinic must complete and sign the Direct Payment Section on the claim form to begin this process. 

Petcover will inform both the treating veterinarian/clinic and the policyholder if Petcover does not accept to pay a particular vet directly.
As per our Product Disclosure Statement (PDS): “If we receive a request to pay the claim settlement direct to a vet practice, we reserve the right to decline this request.” 

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