Pet Health Insurance Advice For Australians

Pet insurance plans are an affordable way for you to take care of your much beloved pets in these times of burgeoning prices.

With vet bills soaring and fancy new treatments available, pet health insurance has become a cost-effective option that more owners are considering nowadays.

Pet insurance can help pay the cost of medical expenses in times when your pet becomes ill or has an accident. In some policies, it can even offer Routine and Wellness coverage providing reimbursements for vaccinations, healthy annual exams, spaying/neutering, and others.

Pet insurance can best be of use to you in providing you financial assistance to mitigate or soften the economic shock of unexpected and high veterinary bills.

So, what type of the pet insurance cover should I get?

Types of Pet Insurance Policies

In choosing pet insurance, the type of cover provided for veterinary fees is the most essential aspect to look out for and consider. Basically, pet covers are categorized into three types namely:

1. Life Long Cover

2. Individual Condition Cover

3. Annual Cover

Life Long Cover

This type of policy is renewable annually and health conditions which have arisen since taking out the policy will continually be covered.

A maximum amount will be paid out each year for this policy which may cover each condition or may be a total amount which includes all conditions claimed for. An excess will usually be deducted once a year for ongoing conditions and for each new condition claimed for.

This policy will provide cover for the conditions which have arisen since taking out the policy for the rest of your pet's life, provided premiums are up to date. This policy has no exclusions placed once the animal insurance cover is in place. However, once insured pets have reached a certain age, insurance premium may rise and the policy excess will increase.


Pro: It provides the most comprehensive cover for both short and long term illness.

Con: It is more expensive

Life Long cover has 2 categories:

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A policy which provides a pay out of a yearly maximum amount for each condition claimed for. For ongoing conditions and for each new condition claimed for, an excess will usually be deducted once a year.
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A policy that pays out an annual maximum amount for all conditions claimed for. For period claimed spanning two policy periods, an excess may be deducted for each period.

Individual Condition Cover

Renewable annually, this type of policy will pay out a maximum amount for each condition, without time limit over which it can be claimed.

For ongoing conditions and new claims, the policy excess may be deducted each year. For period claimed spanning two policy periods, the excess may be deducted for each period.

In cases where the maximum amount has been claimed for a specific condition, that specific condition will be excluded from future cover.

Similarly,once insured pets have reached a certain age, insurance premium may rise and the policy excess will increase.

Pros: Less expensive premiums and covers most short- and medium-term illness.

Cons: Coverage can run out for expensive long-term veterinary treatment.

Annual Cover

Renewable annually, this type of policy will pay out a maximum amount for each condition claimed for while if there is an excess, it will be deducted for each condition claimed for.

For period claimed spanning two policy periods, the excess may be deducted for each period.

Once 12 months is reached, any condition claimed for in the previous year will be excluded from the insurance cover.

Once insured pets reach a certain age, there might be an increase in the insurance premium and the policy excess.

Pros: coverage against accidents and short-term illness is less expensive

Cons: does not cover medium- and long-term health-care conditions .

1.A policy that covers a condition for twelve months from the onset of the condition.

2.A policy that only covers the condition until the renew date.

Benefits of Pet Insurance

provides protection of your pet from just 55 cents a day

immediate accidental injury cover is available from midnight on the day your policy commences

easy fortnightly, monthly or annual payments available by direct debit or credit card

provides the very best care, with up to $15,000 per year in cover

can cover up to 80% of the cost of eligible vet bills

use any licensed vet in Australia