FAQ

Pet insurance is a smart move for your pet's health. Imagine your furry friend needing unexpected treatment. Without insurance, you might have to choose between a hefty vet bill and your pet's well-being. With insurance, however, you can ensure they get the care they need without the stress. It's not just about avoiding big bills; it's about being able to provide the best treatment for your pet. Think of pet insurance as investing in their health and happiness while keeping your finances secure.

Pet insurance offers security for pet owners, much like other insurance types with a few pet-specific tweaks.

You'll pay a regular premium for coverage that typically includes a wide range of medical expenses relating to accidents, illnesses, and surgeries, depending on the policy you choose.

When it's time to make a claim, you'll get reimbursed for a portion of the costs. Keep in mind that our plans have exclusions for pre-existing conditions, and some options have limits, which are detailed on our website.

For new policies, there is a 21-day stand-down period for medical treatments and a 7-day stand-down period for accident-related treatments from the start of your cover. However, when your policy is renewed, the stand-down periods are waived, and cover is continuous.

We offer seven different pet protection plans to meet the needs of pet owners in New Zealand, which you can see on our website.

Our plans have various features, benefits, prices, and coverage limits. They are designed to cover medical treatments, surgical treatments, hereditary conditions after a waiting period, vaccinations, desexing, specialist vet visits, pet funeral costs, and alternative therapies.

Importantly, all of our plans offer cover for life, meaning so long as your premium is paid, your pet is covered.

We get asked this question a lot. The simple answer is that it all depends.

The cost of a pet insurance policy depends on the type of pet, the breed, the age of the pet and the type of cover. If you are interested, the costs of insuring your pet with us can be found on our website.

Importantly, there are costs in not having insurance, as we have outlined here.

It's a good idea to review your pet insurance every year. Pets grow and their needs change over time, just like ours do. By checking your policy annually, you can make sure it still covers everything your pet might need, from routine check-ups to unexpected emergencies. This way, you can adjust your cover to match any new health issues or changes in your pet's lifestyle.

Yes! As long as your policy is renewed each year, Pet-n-Sur can cover your precious pet for life!

Yes - you have to pay for vet expenses upfront.

Like many other pet insurance providers, we operate on a reimbursement basis - meaning pet owners are required to pay for vet services upfront and then submit a claim to us for reimbursement.

This approach provides two advantages.

First, it empowers pet owners to choose any vet for their pet's healthcare, allowing them to pay for services upfront and later seek reimbursement. This flexibility enables pet owners to make healthcare decisions based on their preferences and cater to the unique needs of their beloved pet.

Second, it simplifies the process. Dealing with payments directly with the vet makes things less complicated. The reimbursement model ensures a smoother process for getting your money back. The insurance company can focus on reviewing and approving claims rather than managing payments to numerous vet offices.

Pre-existing conditions mean any health problems your pet had before you got the insurance. We don't cover these in our policies because they were already there when you signed up. Pet insurance is all about helping out with unexpected issues down the road, so anything your pet had going on before won't get you any money back.

Hereditary conditions are health issues in your pet that are linked to their breed's genetics. These conditions might not be obvious to the pet's parents, but they follow a family pattern or a breed tendency. Pet-n-Sur covers hereditary conditions that show up for the first time after your pet turns three!

Good news... Pet-n-Sur can help you insure your older pets with a higher entry age on Cats, Dogs and Rabbits than any other insurer in NZ!

Cats and Dogs that are not classified as a Select Breed have an entry age up to 11 years 11 months on our Platinum, Gold, Silver and Surgical plans. Our Rhodium plan has an entry age up to 7 years 11 months. Select Breeds on all plans have an entry age up to 5 years 11 months. For Rabbits, the entry age is up to 1 years 11 months. For Horses the maximum entry age is 19 years. We will insure a horse up to the age of 20 years.

Once you have arranged cover and the policy is renewed each year, they will be covered for life!

To view more info on our plans, click here.

Co-Pay is the percentage or dollar amount of each eligible claim that you contribute. So for example, on our Rhodium Plan, if you have an eligible claim for $4,500 you would contribute $300 and Pet-n-Sur would contribute $4,200. On our Platinum Plan, the Co-Pay percentage is 20% so for the same example you would contribute $900 and Pet-n-Sur would contribute $3,600.

On some plans, the Co-Pay percentage will vary for certain treatments and on older pets.

You will find more info on how Co-Pay works on the Our Plans page and in your Policy Schedule.

You will have 7 days after the Commencement Date of your policy to consider the full terms and conditions of the policy you have taken out. If you are not happy or change your mind during this 'free look' period, notify us in writing and we will cancel the cover and refund any payments you have made. An exception to this would be if you make a claim during the 'free look' period.

After the 'free look' period has passed, we understand that you have considered the Policy Schedule and Wording and we commit to providing the cover you requested.

Yes, on new policies there is a 21 day stand-down period for medical treatments and 7 day stand-down period for accident related treatments from the day your cover commences. However, with Pet-n-Sur, when your policy is renewed, the stand down period is waived!

Yes, Specialist Veterinarian costs are covered. On some plans the Co-Pay percentage for treatments by Specialist Veterinarians will vary.

You will find more details on the Our Plans page. Your Policy Schedule and Wording will contain full details on cover for Specialist Treatments.

Hereditary Conditions are defined as conditions that occur in your Cat, Dog or Rabbit where the breed has a genetic predisposition to that condition. These conditions may or may not be apparent in the pets parents however they show a clearly familial pattern of occurrence or a clear breed predisposition, as evidenced by a markedly increased odds ratio of the disease occurring in that breed when compared with the general Dog, Cat or Rabbit population.

That's certainly a bit of a mouthful, however, the good news is that with Pet-n-Sur, Hereditary Conditions that present for the first time after your pet's third birthday will be covered!

No. This is the main reason why Pet-n-Sur and your vet or breeder recommend you get your pet covered as early as possible and keep them covered each year!

Pet-n-Sur can provide cover for Cats and Dogs from 4 months of age, Rabbits from 2 months and Horses from 12 months.

Claim forms are available here on our website for download.

Simply complete the form, attach all clinical summaries and receipts relating to the claim and send it to us by email or post. You will find the details for this on the Claim Form.

We will acknowledge receipt of your claim and our in-house Claims Team will manage your claim.

Our goal is to make the process as stress free as possible for you. You can help us help you by taking the time to ensure your Claim Form is fully completed and all Clinical Notes and receipts for payment are attached - incomplete claim forms are the No1 reason for delays!

Obviously, some claims are more complex than others and can take longer to effectively manage. However, we are committed to processing your claim as efficiently as possible.

And we don't just say that, we do that - 99.5% of claim payments are made within 14 days!

The claim form on the site needs to be opened either in a Chrome browser or saved to your computer and opened with Adobe Acrobat Reader. There is a link to download this for free on our Claims Page.

Sometimes, browsers like Firefox, Edge and Safari will open the claim form but you can't fill it in. If this happens, remember to save the pdf file to your computer or mobile device and then open the claim form with your Adobe Acrobat Reader.

If you still have problems, email claims@petnsur.co.nz and let us know how you would like us to send you a claim form.

Yes, you can!

Pre-Approval is when we review an event prior to the procedure to advise on what cover will be available. Pet-n-Sur can look at pre-approving a claim when the estimated costs are $1,000 or greater.

We just need a few days notice and a full clinical history to make the assessment (note that pre-approval is applicable on future-dated events and is not a pre-payment - it is a review prior to the relevant procedure to give you peace of mind on what you could be covered for).

For pre-approval on upcoming claims, get hold of our Claims Team on 0800 738 678 or email claims@petnsur.co.nz as early as possible.

The short answer is, Yes!

Pet-n-Sur will provide cover for the life of your pet even if they require ongoing treatment. On some plans, your Co-Pay percentage will vary on ongoing and chronic conditions however as long as your Policy is renewed each year, your pet will have access to the full benefits available every year.

For more info, head over to the Our Plans page. Full details are contained in your Policy Schedule and Wording.

Pet-n-Sur's policies are designed to help you and your pet with those unexpected events that can lead to costly bills. Things like routine dental treatments therefore, are not covered.

However, if you have a dental claim that relates to an accident, we can cover that! And some of our plans do offer contributions for annual care items like vaccinations.

For more info, have a look at the Our Plans page. Details on your selected plan will be contained in your Policy Schedule and Wording.

The basic answer is just as some dogs cost more to feed, some breeds cost more to care for.

Particular breeds are identified as being of higher risk and accordingly premiums are set that reflect the increased risks associated with these particular dogs.

Select Breed dogs include (but are not limited to) - All Bulldog breeds, All Mastiff Breeds, All Staffordshire Terriers, Anatolian Shepherd, Basset Hound, Beauceron, Bernese Mountain Dog, Bloodhound, Bouvier des Flandres, Boxer, Briard, Dachshund, Deerhound, Doberman Pinscher, Dogue de Bordeaux, Giant Schnauzer, Great Dane, Greyhound, Irish Wolfhound, Leonberger, Lurcher, Munsterlander, Newfoundland, Old English Sheepdog, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Rottweiler, Shar Pei, Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, St Bernard or any crosses of these breeds.

On our Titanium Plan, in addition to those listed above, Select Breed dogs include Belgian Malinois, Belgian Shepherd, Bichon Frise, Boston Terrier, Cane Corso, Czechoslovak Wolfdog, Dogo Argentino, French Bulldog, German Shepherd, Huntaway, Irish Setter, Kangal, Pug, Pyrenean Mastiff, Scottish Deerhound, White Shepherd or any crosses of these breeds.

Pet-n-Sur from time to time may amend the Select Breed list.

To view more info on our plans, click here.

Your Policy Schedule and Policy Wording contains all the Terms and Conditions that relate to the Policy you choose. Once you receive that document, read through it to make sure you are happy with the cover you selected.

Our generic Policy Wording can be viewed here - Rhodium Plans, General Cat and Dog Plans, Exotic Plans and Equine Plans.

If you have any questions or queries regarding your cover, get hold of us via the Contact Page or call our team on 0800 738 678.

All licensed insurers are required to have a financial strength rating ("FSR") from a rating agency authorised for this purpose by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. Beneficial Insurance Limited has been rated B++ Outlook Stable by AM Best Company. The AM Best company financial strength rating scale is as follows:

Secure

A++, A+ (Superior)

A, A- (Excellent)

B++, B+ (Good)

Vulnerable

B, B- (Fair)

C++, C+ (Marginal)

C, C- (Weak)

D (Poor)

E (Under Regulatory Supervision)