Why is pet insurance important?
You may be able to budget for the ongoing day-to-day costs of keeping your pet healthy (such as vaccinations, flea and worm treatments and regular check-ups). However, an unexpected health emergency can quickly end up with vet bills that can be difficult to pay. HCF Pet Insurance can give you the reassurance of being able to provide treatment if your pet suddenly has an injury or illness.
What does HCF Pet Insurance cover?
While there are some differences between pet insurance policies, there are two main types of cover:
- Accidental injury only policies, which cover the likes of broken bones or injuries from motor vehicle incidents.
- Combined accidental injury and illness policies, which also cover sickness (ranging from short-term infections to major conditions such as cancer).
How much will I get back from a pet insurance claim?
This depends on the policy you choose. HCF Pet Insurance pays back up to 80% of eligible vet bills, not including any excess you might have and any policy limits.
Most policies are based on what’s called a ‘benefit percentage’ reimbursement. For example, an 80% benefit percentage means that if your eligible vet bill comes to $1,000, your pet insurance will give you back $800 and you’ll pay the other $200 (subject to any exclusions, excess or applicable limit).
What is routine care?
HCF encourages responsible pet ownership by providing a routine care option which can give you a helping hand towards certain preventative healthcare treatments for your pet. Routine care allows for a contribution towards some treatments like:
- De-sexing
- Microchipping
- Heartworm control
- Teeth cleaning
- Council registration fees
- Alternative therapies
- Prescription diets
- Dewclaw removal
- Cremation/burial
- Vaccinations/health checks
- Heartworm test
- FeLv/Fiv test
- Flea/tick/worm control
The routine care limits for each item will be listed on your certificate of insurance.
Does HCF Pet Insurance cover dental illness?
You can add optional dental illness cover to our Pet Premium or Pet Premium Plus Routine Care. Dental illness cover provides cover for up to $2,000 per policy period for specified conditions like gingivitis. Please note that a 2-year waiting period applies to dental illness. You should read your Product Disclosure Statement to understand what is covered under this optional benefit.
What is a pre-existing condition in pets?
If any symptoms or signs of a condition occur or the condition exists in any form prior to taking out your policy or during the applicable waiting period, then it will be a pre-existing condition and won’t be covered under your policy. PetSure (who administer HCF Pet Insurance policies) have recently made some changes to how pre-existing conditions are handled for all HCF pet insurance policies. This applies to claims with veterinary treatment date from 1 December 2020. You can find more information about this here.
