Accident only, accident and illness, or comprehensive
Pet policies come in three broad levels. Moneysmart groups them as accident-only cover, accident and illness cover, and comprehensive cover that adds preventive and routine care. Some home and contents insurers also sell pet cover as an add-on, which Moneysmart cautions may not be as comprehensive as a stand-alone policy.
| Level | What it pays for | What it leaves out | Who it tends to suit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accident only | Vet treatment for injuries: car accidents, bites, swallowed objects, broken bones, snake bite (subject to sub-limits) | All illness, including infections, cancer and chronic disease | Tight budgets, or as a floor of cover. Moneysmart suggests weighing whether it is appropriate for your pet |
| Accident and illness | Injuries plus illnesses such as infections, cancer, diabetes and gastrointestinal disease, after waiting periods | Pre-existing conditions, elective treatment, routine care, vaccine-preventable disease | Most owners who want protection from large, unexpected bills |
| Comprehensive or with routine care | Accident and illness cover plus a capped allowance for preventive care such as vaccinations, worming and dental cleans | As for accident and illness; routine care is capped each year | Owners who will use the full routine allowance and find the extra premium worth it |
Species matters less to the product than you might expect: most insurers sell one policy for dogs and cats and price it by species, breed and age. The terms that matter differ, though, which is why we cover dog insurance andcat insurance separately. Accident-only cover is harder to find than it was, because some products have closed to new customers: our guide toaccident-only dog insurance explains what it leaves out.
Benefit percentage, annual limits and sub-limits
The benefit percentage is the share of each eligible vet bill the insurer pays. The annual limit is the most it will pay in a policy year. Sub-limits then cap particular conditions or treatments inside that annual limit, and they are where policies with similar headline numbers differ most. Moneysmart's example of the risk: a $2,000 procedure where the policy covers only $500.
| Product (PDS date) | Benefit | Annual limit options | Examples of sub-limits and excess |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSPCA Pet Insurance (30 June 2025) | 75% (Economy) or 80% | $11,000 to $20,000 by level | $0 excess; cruciate $2,600 on lower levels; consultation fees $300 a year |
| Budget Direct Pet Insurance (22 July 2024) | 80% | $12,000, $15,000 or $25,000 | Tick paralysis and snake bite $1,000 to $3,000; excess $100 or $200 per unrelated condition |
| Buddy Pet Insurance (21 June 2025) | Set on the certificate | $11,000, $20,000 or $35,000 | Annual excess; optional Booster Care adds $2,000 for listed dental conditions and therapies |
| Knose (15 November 2024) | 70%, 80% or 90% | You choose, up to $25,000 | Annual excess |
| Petsy Protection Plus (15 November 2024) | 80% or 90% | Up to $25,000 | See PDS |
| Fetch (PDS v1.1; TMD 14 September 2026) | 80%, 90% or 100% | $40,000 a year | Excess per condition: $0, $100, $200 or $500 at 80% or 90%; $200 or $500 at 100% |
| Australian Seniors Basic Accident & Illness (PDS 2021, SPDS 2026) | 60% | $12,000 | $2,000 per condition a year; $0 excess |
The excess works differently between policies too. Some charge nothing, some charge once per unrelated condition, and some once per year. If the excess is taken off before the benefit percentage is applied, a $1,000 bill with a $100 excess at 80 per cent returns $720; if it is taken off after, the same bill returns $700. The PDS says which.
Waiting periods
Every policy has periods after it starts when you cannot claim for certain things. In the PDSs we reviewed they are commonly none to 2 days for listed accidental injuries, 14 to 30 days for illness, and 90 days to 6 months for cruciate ligament and some orthopaedic conditions. A condition that shows signs during a waiting period is usually treated as pre-existing, so it can stay excluded, not just delayed. Our guide topet insurance with no waiting periodexplains what is genuinely available from day one, waivers and what switching insurers does.
| Product (PDS date) | Accidental injury | Illness | Cruciate ligament | Day-one cover? | Other notable periods |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSPCA Pet Insurance (30 June 2025) | None, for listed accidental injuries | 30 days | 6 months, can be waived after a vet exam | Yes, for listed accidental injuries | Routine care: none |
| Bupa Pet Insurance (18 April 2024) | None, for listed accidental injuries | 30 days | 6 months, can be waived | Yes, for listed accidental injuries | Major dental: 6 months |
| Medibank Pet Insurance (10 December 2024) | None, for listed accidental injuries | 30 days | 6 months, can be waived | Yes, for listed accidental injuries | Specified dental conditions: 6 months |
| Budget Direct Pet Insurance (22 July 2024) | 2 days | 30 days | 6 months | No | Tick paralysis 30 days; snake bite 2 days |
| Buddy, Everyday and Pet Insurance Australia (2025–26 PDSs) | 2 days | 30 days | 6 months | No | Behavioural conditions: 30 days |
| Knose (15 November 2024) | 1 day | 14 days | 6 months | No | 6 months for listed orthopaedic and hereditary conditions, including hip and elbow dysplasia, IVDD and patellar luxation |
| Fetch (PDS v1.1) | 2 days | 30 days | 90 days | Only if you skip waiting periods through Fetch's in-app health check | 90 days also for hip and elbow dysplasia, patellar luxation, BOAS, IVDD and FLUTD |
Pre-existing conditions and age limits
A pre-existing condition, in the PetSure-issued PDSs we reviewed, is any condition whose signs or symptoms appeared before cover began or during a waiting period, diagnosed or not. These are excluded, although some insurers will reinstate cover for a temporary condition after 12 to 18 months without symptoms. Chronic conditions and, often, the matching side of a bilateral condition stay excluded. Moneysmart warns that anything you claimed for with a previous insurer will be pre-existing for a new one. Seepre-existing conditions.
Most accident and illness policies accept pets from about 8 weeks old and will not start new cover once a pet reaches 9, although many keep renewing existing cover. A few products accept older pets on different terms. That combination is the case for insuring early: seepuppy and kitten insuranceand insurance for older pets.
How claims and gap payments work
Moneysmart notes that most insurers make you pay the vet in full and then submit a claim, usually online with the invoice and records. The insurer then reimburses the benefit percentage of eligible costs, less any excess.
- On-the-spot claiming. GapOnly, a system run by PetSure, lets participating clinics lodge the claim at the counter, so you pay only the gap and the insurer pays the vet.
- Direct payment to the vet. Some insurers, such as Fetch, pay the vet directly where the clinic accepts it, and you pay your share.
- Vet payment plans are not insurance. Products like VetPay are credit: they spread a bill over time and charge fees and interest.
If a claim is refused, use the insurer's complaints process first. If it is not resolved, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority handles pet insurance complaints free of charge.
Is pet insurance worth it? A method, not a verdict
Most owners go without. Animal Medicines Australia's 2025 survey found 76 per cent of dog owners and 86 per cent of cat owners had no pet insurance, while households spent an estimated $1.9 billion on vet services in a year. Moneysmart's view is balanced: insurance can help with costs, but premiums can add up to thousands of dollars over a pet's life, and putting money aside each pay may suit some owners better.
The question to answer is whether the policy would pay enough, on the bills that are likely and the bills you could not absorb, to justify the premium. Enter your own quote below. The break-even figure is the eligible vet spend in a year at which the policy returns its premium.
Insurer pays
$2,320
You pay the vet
$680
Break-even vet bill
Add a premium
Add the annual premium from a quote to see the bill at which the policy pays for itself. Only eligible bills count: waiting periods, exclusions, sub-limits and pre-existing conditions all reduce what is claimable.
- Insurance is strongest against the large, rare bill: surgery, cancer treatment, a long hospital stay.
- Savings are stronger for routine and predictable costs, and you keep what you do not spend.
- Many owners combine the two: a higher excess to lower the premium, with savings to cover the excess.
Cheap pet insurance: how to pay less without cutting cover
Cheap pet insurance should mean paying less for cover that still pays out on the bills you couldn't absorb. We don't publish premiums, because they depend on your pet's species, breed, age and postcode, but these are the levers that lower the price without removing what matters.
- ✓Choose a higher excess you could pay comfortably, and keep savings for it.
- ✓Pick the benefit percentage and annual limit that fit the bills you couldn't absorb, rather than the maximum.
- ✓Compare sub-limits before price: a cheaper policy with a low cruciate or tick paralysis sub-limit can pay less on the claims that matter.
- ✓Insure young. Premiums are lower and fewer conditions are excluded as pre-existing.
- ✓Skip routine care if its extra premium is close to the allowance it pays back.
- ✓If your pet is already insured and the premium has climbed, adjust that policy before switching: a new insurer excludes everything already on the vet record.
Cheaper isn't better if it fails on the claim your pet is most likely to make. The policy-by-policy tables on the dog insurance andcat insurance pages show the sub-limits and waiting periods to check first.
Can't afford a vet bill? Options in Australia
If you can't pay a vet bill in full, talk to the clinic before treatment starts: ask for an estimate, whether it accepts payment plans or concession cards, and what can safely wait. Then work through the options below, starting with the ones that cost nothing extra. Insurance can't help with a bill you already face, because the condition is now pre-existing for any new policy.
| Option | How it works | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| No Interest Loans (NILs) | Loans of up to $2,000 for essentials, including vet expenses, through Good Shepherd's network of community providers. The money is paid straight to the supplier | No interest, fees or credit checks, and up to 24 months to repay. Eligibility includes holding a Health Care or Pension Card, or an income under $70,000 (single) or $100,000 (with a partner or dependants). Call 13 6457 |
| Centrelink advance payment | Part of your Centrelink payment early as a lump sum, repaid out of your next 13 payments | Services Australia describes it as like a loan from your payment. On the Age Pension and several other payments you need to have been paid for at least 3 months, there are limits on how much you can get and how often, and you must be able to repay it within 6 months |
| Charity and concession clinics | Some not-for-profit animal hospitals discount fees or fund emergency care for concession card holders | Lort Smith in Melbourne gives Health Care and Pension Card holders 15% off its vet services and can fund some emergency care case by case. RSPCA Victoria's Healthy Pet Days give concession card holders free vaccinations, microchipping and health checks |
| Vet payment plans and buy now pay later | Credit that spreads the bill over time, offered at many clinics | Moneysmart warns that fees can add up, applying may trigger a credit check, and late payments can show on your credit report. VetPay's own FAQ lists an annual fee, interest and a fee on each repayment |
Pensioner discounts are offered by some clinics, so ask your own vet. For free advice, some pet insurance policies include a vet advice service: PetSure policies sold through CommBank, for example, include 24/7 Live Vet Support by video or chat. RSPCA Victoria's Healthy Pet Days also give concession card holders a free health check for their cat or dog.
Our full guide to help with vet bills goes through each option, including low-cost clinics, what payment plans cost, and what to discuss with your vet if treatment isn't affordable at all. Once the bill is behind you, the time to look at cover is before the next one: the waiting periods guideshows how long each policy takes to start paying.
Who issues Australia's pet insurance brands
Many pet insurance brands are issued by a small number of insurers. That is worth knowing because brands sharing an issuer often share policy wording, waiting periods and claims processes, even when their limits and prices differ. In 2023 ASIC issued interim stop orders on 67 pet insurance products from Hollard and PetSure over their target market determinations, and revoked them after the documents were fixed.
| Brand | Issuer or underwriter named in the PDS | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| RSPCA Pet Insurance | The Hollard Insurance Company | Distributed by Greenstone and administered by PetSure |
| Bupa Pet Insurance | PetSure (Australia) | Policies renewing before 18 April 2024 were issued by Hollard |
| Medibank Pet Insurance | PetSure (Australia) | Policies renewing before 30 August 2023 were issued by Hollard |
| CommBank Pet Insurance | PetSure (Australia) | Promoted and distributed by Commonwealth Bank; PDS prepared 5 December 2023 |
| Everyday Pet Insurance (Woolworths) | PetSure (Australia) | Policies renewing before 17 July 2023 were issued by Hollard |
| Pet Insurance Australia | PetSure (Australia) | Policies renewing before 8 May 2023 were issued by Hollard |
| Buddy Pet Insurance | PetSure (Australia) | Some replacement policies issued by Hollard |
| Australian Seniors Pet Insurance | The Hollard Insurance Company | Administered by PetSure |
| Budget Direct Pet Insurance | Auto & General Insurance Company | |
| Knose | Pacific International Insurance | Knose acts as the underwriting agency |
| Petsy | Pacific International Insurance | |
| Fetch | Pacific International Insurance | |
| ahm, Petbarn and Kogan (Petinsurance.com.au Best in Show Cover) | PetSure (Australia) | One PDS (1 September 2026) sold through all three; Hollard issues only renewals of policies first issued before 7 November 2023. Petbarn's older Petbarn Insurance policies are issued by Hollard |
| Bow Wow Meow | PetSure (Australia) | PDS prepared 6 November 2024; Hollard issues only renewals of policies first issued before 14 June 2023 |
| Guardian Pet Insurance | The Hollard Insurance Company | Distributed by Greenstone Financial Services and administered by PetSure; PDS 2021 with SPDS 28 August 2026 |
| Guide Dogs Pet Insurance | The Hollard Insurance Company | Distributed by Greenstone Financial Services and administered by PetSure; PDS 2021 with SPDS 28 August 2026 |
| Pet Circle Insurance | Pacific International Insurance | ThePetInsuranceCompany.com.au acts under a binding authority; PDS prepared 15 November 2024 |
| Coles Pet Insurance | Guild Insurance | Essential and Ultimate PDSs prepared 15 January 2025, effective 11 June 2025 |
How to compare pet insurance policies
Work through the PDS of each policy in this order before comparing price.
- 1Cover level: accident only, accident and illness, or with routine care. Compare like with like, whatever each insurer calls its tiers.
- 2Benefit percentage and annual limit, then the sub-limits for the conditions your pet is most likely to need, such as cruciate, orthopaedic, dental and tick paralysis.
- 3Waiting periods for accidents, illness and cruciate conditions, and whether any can be waived.
- 4Excess structure: per claim, per condition or annual, and whether $0 excess is available.
- 5Maximum entry age, and what the PDS says about renewing cover for life.
- 6How pre-existing conditions are defined, and whether a cured condition can be reinstated.
- 7How you are paid: reimbursement after you pay the vet, or on-the-spot claiming at your clinic.
- 8The Target Market Determination, which says who the product is designed for.
Pet insurance guides
By pet and age
Renting with a pet? Pet damage is commonly excluded fromrenters contents insurance, so check both policies.
Pet insurance FAQs
Is pet insurance worth it?
It is worth it if a large, unexpected vet bill would be hard to pay and the policy would pay a meaningful share of it after the excess, benefit percentage and sub-limits. Put your quote's numbers into a break-even calculation: the policy pays for itself in a year once eligible bills exceed the premium divided by the benefit percentage, plus the excess. Moneysmart suggests weighing insurance against setting money aside in savings.
What are the downsides of pet insurance?
You pay premiums whether or not you claim, premiums usually rise as your pet ages, pre-existing conditions are excluded, waiting periods delay cover, and sub-limits can cap what you get back on common conditions. Most policies also require you to pay the vet first and claim afterwards.
What can I do if I can't afford a vet bill?
Talk to the clinic before treatment about an estimate and payment options. Then look at a No Interest Loan of up to $2,000 for essentials including vet expenses, a Centrelink advance payment if you're eligible, and concession or charity clinics such as Lort Smith in Melbourne. Buy now pay later and vet payment plans are credit, with fees and possible credit checks. Our guide to help with vet bills covers each option.
Do vets give pensioner discounts?
Some do, and the discount is set by each clinic, so ask yours. Lort Smith Animal Hospital in Melbourne, for example, gives Health Care and Pension Card holders 15 per cent off its veterinary services when the card is shown at each visit.
Can I get help with vet bills through Centrelink?
Services Australia's advance payment lets eligible people get part of their Centrelink payment early as a lump sum, repaid out of the next 13 payments. On the Age Pension and several other payments you need to have been paid for at least 3 months, and there are limits on how much you can get and how often.
Can I get free advice from a vet?
Some pet insurance policies include a vet advice service: PetSure policies sold through CommBank, for example, include 24/7 Live Vet Support by video or chat. RSPCA Victoria's Healthy Pet Days give concession card holders a free health check for their cat or dog.
Should I get pet insurance or just put money aside?
Savings work well for routine and moderate costs, and you keep what you don't spend. Insurance is for the large, unpredictable bills a savings buffer may not yet cover, such as surgery or cancer treatment. Many owners do both: a policy with a higher excess, and savings for the excess and routine care.
What is an annual excess (deductible)?
An annual excess is the amount you contribute towards your claims once in each policy year. Buddy's PDS applies it to each claim until it has been paid in full and resets it at renewal, and Knose's works the same way. Other policies charge an excess per condition each year (Medibank and CommBank) or once for each unrelated condition (Budget Direct), and Fetch charges its excess once per condition for the life of the plan.
At what age should I get pet insurance?
As young as the insurer allows, commonly from 8 weeks, before any condition shows signs. Most accident and illness policies will not start new cover once a pet is 9, and anything already on the vet record is excluded.
Does pet insurance cover pre-existing conditions?
Generally no. Some insurers will cover a temporary condition again after a symptom-free period, such as 18 months in PetSure-issued PDSs or 12 months for fully cured conditions in Budget Direct's PDS. Chronic conditions stay excluded.
What do vets recommend for pet insurance?
The Australian Veterinary Association does not recommend particular insurers. Its published policy calls for exclusions to be disclosed when a policy is taken out, no blanket exclusions of whole body systems, disputed claims to be reviewed by a veterinarian registered in Australia, and online claiming for vets.
Who has the best pet insurance in Australia?
The best pet insurance is the policy that would pay a meaningful share of the bills your pet is likely to have: a benefit percentage and annual limit that fit, sub-limits that don't cap your pet's likely conditions, waiting periods you can live with, and an entry age your pet still meets. We read selected PDSs, not the whole market, and don't rank insurers, so compare the policies that pass on price.
What will pet insurance not cover?
Pet insurance won't cover pre-existing conditions, anything that first shows signs during a waiting period, routine care unless you add a routine care benefit, elective treatment such as desexing, or diseases with a known vaccine, which Moneysmart lists among common exclusions. Accident-only policies don't cover illness at all, and sub-limits cap what's paid for some conditions.
Who underwrites Woolworths pet insurance?
Woolworths' Everyday Pet Insurance is issued by PetSure (Australia), according to its current PDS; policies renewing before 17 July 2023 were issued by Hollard. PetSure also issues the Bupa, Medibank, CommBank, Buddy and Pet Insurance Australia brands.
How do pet insurance claims work?
Usually you pay the vet in full, then claim online and are reimbursed the benefit percentage of eligible costs, after any excess. Some clinics offer on-the-spot claiming, such as PetSure's GapOnly system, so you pay only the gap at the counter.
