Pet Insurance FAQs

The amount you get back from a pet insurance claim can vary based on several factors, including the specifics of your policy, the type of claim, and any excess amount you have selected.

The different levels of cover available to you at Buddy Pet Insurance are:

• Gold Accidental Injury and Illness Cover – up to 90% of eligible vet bills with a benefit limit of $35,000 per policy period.
• Silver Accidental Injury and Illness Cover – up to 80% of eligible vet bills with a benefit limit of $20,000 per policy period.
• Bronze Accidental Injury and Illness Cover – up to 70% of eligible vet bills with a benefit limit of $11,000 per policy period.

Usually, policies cover an agreed percentage of an eligible claim, and you cover the rest. Most policies are based on a benefit percentage reimbursement.

So as an example, with the Gold Accidental Injury and Illness Cover, a 90% benefit percentage means that if your eligible vet bill comes to $1,000, your pet insurance policy will reimburse $900 and you pay the other $100 (subject to any exclusions, excess or annual limits).

To get an accurate estimate, you should review your insurance policy or you can contact Buddy Pet Insurance directly on 1300 946 501 1300 946 501 to get pre-approval for expected costs. Pre-approvals are not mandatory, but they can provide you with reassurance as to whether you’ll be covered and if so, what benefits will be provided for an upcoming treatment.

You can submit a pet insurance claim for your pet’s treatment at any time, as there is no time limit to submitting a claim for your pet.

So long as you have submitted all the necessary documents, in most cases, claims are assessed (and paid if approved) within 5 business days.

If you took your pet to a GapOnly® enabled vet clinic, your vet could submit a GapOnly® claim on your behalf, and that’s assessed in around 10 minutes. Once the claim has been assessed and then if approved by your insurer, all you have to do is pay the gap, which is the difference between the vet bill and the claim benefit calculated under your policy.

With Buddy Pet Insurance, you can also track your claim’s progress online through our Pet Portal

The waiting period for pet insurance can vary depending on the type of policy you have and your insurer. These are the waiting periods with Buddy Pet Insurance:

• 2 days for accidental injuries
• 30 days for illnesses
• 30 days for behavioural conditions (as part of optional Booster Care benefit, if selected)
• 6 months for cruciate ligament conditions (irrespective of the cause or origin)
• 6 months for specified dental conditions (as part of optional Booster Care benefit, if selected)
• 0 day waiting period for Routine Care optional benefit, if selected.

With Buddy Pet Insurance, if you want to know whether a treatment for your pet will be covered, you can email us on claimreview@petsure.com.au with the following information:

• Policy number or name of the policy holder and the covered pet’s name
• Name of the condition up for treatment
• The proposed procedure
• Name of your regular vet
• Name of the vet where the procedure will take place
• This is optional: an itemised estimate of costs relating to the procedure (only if you have it)

Check your Product Disclosure Statement and Certificate of Insurance for details of what your policy covers. While pre-approvals aren’t compulsory, they can provide you with reassurance if a particular treatment is covered or not, and for how much.

A waiting period is the amount of time you must wait after purchasing a pet insurance policy before you can make a claim.

If a condition is present or develops during the waiting period, it is typically classified as a pre-existing condition and may be excluded from cover under your pet insurance policy. This means that any future claims related to that condition may not be covered.

The different waiting periods for covered conditions and items are set out below.

Note: The waiting period that applies for specialised therapy items is dependent on the waiting period for the covered condition.

It's always a good idea to review your policy details or contact your insurance provider for specific information about how they handle pre-existing conditions or any questions you may have related to waiting periods.

With Buddy Pet Insurance, you can claim on the spot through the GapOnly® service that’s available at participating vets across Australia. This means your claim will be assessed at the time of your vet visit, which usually takes 10 minutes to process. Once your claim is calculated, and if accepted, all you have to do is pay the gap between the vet bill and your insurance benefit amount.

You can also submit a claim online at any time via our Pet Portal. Alternatively, you can call us on 1300 946 501 1300 946 501 .

GapOnly® is a service that allows your vet to lodge a claim on your behalf during your pet’s visit to their clinic. This claim is assessed usually in about 10 minutes, while you wait. As soon as your insured pet’s claim has been processed and a benefit amount’s been calculated (if the claim is approved), all you have to do is pay the gap and go. The gap is the difference between the vet’s bill and your insurance benefit amount. Keep in mind that GapOnly® is available at participating vets only. When GapOnly® isn’t available, an eClaim can be submitted by your vet for reimbursement, or you can submit the claim yourself via our Pet Portal.