Questions and answers

This is the stated percentage of each claim for eligible vet expenses which we reimburse, subject to any applicable benefit limit or sub-limit.

The applicable benefit percentage will be shown on your certificate of insurance.

You can start your pet’s cover from 8 weeks of age and before its 9th birthday when you first apply on our Peace of Mind Plan, Ultimate Care Plan and Indoor Cat Plan.

You can start your pet’s cover from 8 weeks of age when you first apply and there is no upper age limit for our Accident Plus plan, so any pet can join no matter how old.

We offer lifetime cover, so once your pet is insured with us we will renew your pet’s policy for life, as long as we continue to offer the product and as long as you continue to renew your policy, without a break, lapse of change in level of cover (subject to the terms and conditions of the policy).

Yes, you can visit any vet (other than yourself) that is licensed to legally practice as a veterinarian in Australia.

• Consultations 24 hours a day, every day, within minutes – so you can get help with you need it and have peace of mind
• Take the stress out of not knowing what to do with real vet advice from wherever you are
• Supportive team of trusted Australian registered vets

For new policies

We calculate your premium based on several factors. Some are pre-set and don’t vary, e.g. amounts we consider for some internal expenses. Others can affect the premium amount depending on whether we believe it increases or decreases the risk to us. For example, the type of cover and options you have selected.

We’ll also take into account risk factors associated with you and your pet such as your pet’s breed and age. For instance, as your pet gets older the risk of your pet requiring treatment will increase and so the premium increases.

There are also commercial factors that affect your premium, including costs associated with operating our business and our commercial arrangements.

Your premium calculation may also include discounts or promotional offers that we provide. If you qualify for two or more discounts, we apply a specific order to our calculation of your final premium.

Also, any discounts and/or your premium may be rounded up or down and some may only apply in the first year of coverage.

For renewals and changes to your policy

For renewals, we also factor in the claim history for your pet and the average cost of care for pets like yours, as well as the claims experience across all our insured pets. Because of all of these factors and the changes to your pet’s risk profile, your premium will increase from year to year.

When calculating your premium on renewal, we also consider how much your premium was previously, including any discounts that may have been applied. This means that we may limit movements up or down.

These same factors and others are also used to calculate your premium if you amend your coverage.

Yes! Sign up using promo code 2MFREE to get your first 2 months pet insurance on us!*

If you insure more than one pet with us you will also receive a 10% discount on the second and subsequent pets ¹.

Read more about our latest pet insurance deals

Get a quote

No. Pet insurance does not work like human health insurance. Human health insurance is ‘community rated’, which means that everyone pays the same premium for their health insurance regardless of their individual health status, age or claims history. This is not the case for pet insurance.

Health insurance providers are able to community rate health insurance because there are many other factors at play in the human health care system, such as Medicare and government rebates and subsidies, which is not the case with veterinary care and pet insurance.

Pet insurance claim reimbursements are paid for purely by the premiums received by those who insure their pets. In order for each person to pay a fair price for their pet insurance, premiums vary depending on your and your pet’s risk factors.

Every year, we review the cost of everyone’s insurance with regards to a combination of factors as well as claims inflation across all our insured pets. Increases in our claims costs due to increases in the range of available veterinary procedures, or due to an increased take-up of those services, impacts everyone’s premiums.

Your premium takes into account the average cost of care for pets like yours. To provide an example of this, a pet parent with a three-year-old French Bulldog will be affected by the trends we see in our data from hundreds of three-year-old French Bulldogs that we insure, as well as the specific claims history of their own pet.

You can upgrade to a higher cover at any time, as long as you haven’t made a claim on your current level of cover. If you have claimed in the current policy period, then you can change your cover on policy renewal. Where you upgrade to a higher cover level, then applicable waiting periods for the higher cover will apply.

If you are not happy with your policy, you may cancel the policy within the 21-day cooling off period as long as you have not made a claim, and any premium you have paid will be refunded in full, less any reasonable costs or taxes or duties we are unable to refund.

The excess (or per-condition excess) is the amount that you (the pet owner) pays towards a claim before pet insurance pays.

No excess on our new policies

We have listened to our customers, and know you prefer to get money back for each eligible vet bill. We have therefore removed the excess from our range of policies. This translates into more rebates for you for even the smallest vet bills.

Bow Wow Meow will pay up to 80% of eligible vet fees (subject to any benefit limits or sub-limits) per annnum, up to a maximum of:

• $5,000 on the Indoor Cat policy
• $10,000 on the Accident Plus policy
• $15,000 on the Peace of Mind policy
• $20,000 on the Ultimate Care policy

Some sub-limits also apply within each policy.

No, you are covered for these items up to the annual overall benefit limit.

Yes, provided signs or symptoms of these defects were not present prior to commencing cover, or during the applicable waiting periods.

Hereditary and congenital conditions won’t be considered a pre-existing condition if they occur during the policy period. Refer to the Pre- Existing Condition review section in your Product Disclosure Statement for further information on cover eligibility.

• Your Policy will commence at 11:59pm from the day selected in your proposal and when accepted by us.
  
• Your Certificate of Insurance will state the commencement date of your policy, and your policy will be effective from 11:59pm on that date.
• Depending on your level of cover, there may be different waiting periods that apply. For example, there is no waiting period for specified accidental injuries, while most illness conditions have a 30 day waiting period.
• The ‘What’s covered’ section of My pets in the pet portal and your Product Disclosure Statement will give a personalised overview of your waiting periods

Depending on the policy chosen, you will receive up to 60%, 70% or 80% of the eligible cost of treatment for your dog or cat, subject to the annual benefit limit, sub-limits and terms and conditions set out in your Policy Booklet.

You are not required to undertake a health check for your pet when you first get insurance. However, you may wish to apply to waive the six (6) month cruciate ligament waiting period (if covered by your policy) which will require a vet to examine your pet and complete this cruciate ligament exam form.

You also need to be aware that pre-existing conditions are excluded from illness cover, which includes conditions that pre-date the policy and conditions that arise during the waiting period.

As a Bow Wow Meow policy holder, you are entitled to a free personalised ID tag for your pet. A coupon for your tag will be emailed to you (as long as you continue to hold the policy after the 21-day cooling off period has ended) within 3-4 weeks after signup, along with instructions for ordering your tag online.

You can also order a new tag if you change your contact details or if your pet’s tag is lost (limit of one new tag per policy period).

Once you have ordered your tag, it will be sent out to you along with a handy pet health card to keep in your wallet. The card is a useful way to store information related to your pet insurance policy.

Yes, your premium will increase each year. This is for two main reasons:

Reason #1: More health issues

Just like humans, the older our pets get, the more likely they are to have health hiccups. Cats and dogs age faster than we do, which means that their veterinary treatment costs typically go up rapidly each year too. As a result, the cost of insuring your pet will also increase as they get older.

Reason #2: Advancements in veterinary treatments

The overall cost of medical treatment for pets has increased in recent years due to the increased availability of medical treatments and technology-enabled services and ongoing demand for these services. The treatment options and advancements in technology are providing us with great opportunities to give our pets a great quality of life for longer.

While this is great news for the care of our pets, these treatments come at a significant cost. Year on year treatment costs increase, and this is factored into the cost of pet insurance.

Please see ‘How do you calculate my premium’ for more information about calculation of premiums.

It’s a great idea to cover your puppy from the start, to make sure you are covered before any health issues are diagnosed and become pre-existing conditions. Most pet owners choose a policy that covers their puppy for specified accidental injuries and illnesses, such as our Peace of Mind plan or Ultimate Care plan.

Our plans offer a choice of features and benefit levels. You can read more here:

• Find out more about insurance for dogs
• Find the best policy for your puppy

Special offer: Take out a new policy for your puppy and get 2 months free over your first year², when you use the promo code BWMP2 

Get a quote now

There are many reasons why it makes sense to take out pet insurance for your dog.

We know that, as caring parents, you value your dogs’ health and ensure they are always well looked after. Unfortunately, the fact is that no matter how well you look after them, most dogs will require veterinary treatment at some stage. Vet treatment nowadays is highly advanced, but that often comes with a hefty price tag. And unfortunately there is no Medicare for pets, so when anything happens to your dog, you will need to foot the entire bill.

Pet insurance is a way to protect both you and your pet from unexpected vet bills. There is no need for your dog to suffer if veterinary care is too pricey, and no difficult decisions for you to make other than getting them the care they deserve.

Above all, pet insurance will provide you with the security that you will never have to choose between money and the life of your beloved fur baby.

• Read more about the costs & benefits of pet insurance
• Find out more about insurance for dogs
• Compare our plans for dogs

Some cat owners think that it may be unnecessary to insure a cat that stays indoors. However, most of the claims that we get for cats are related to illness conditions that can affect any cat. These include conditions like kidney disorders, diabetes and urinary tract disease.

Our Indoor Cat plan is designed specifically for the needs of indoor cats, who have a lower risk of getting injured, at an affordable price.

• Why insuring your cat is a good idea
• Read more about our Indoor Cat plan
• Compare our plans for cats

Get a quote now

If any Condition existed or occurred prior to the Commencement Date of the First Policy Period or within any applicable Waiting Period, and you or your Vet were aware of the Condition, or a reasonable person in your circumstances would have been aware of the Condition, then it may be considered to be a Pre-existing Condition and excluded from Cover. This is the case, irrespective of whether the underlying or causative Condition was diagnosed at the time.

Whether such a Condition is a Pre-existing Condition will depend on its nature and experience. If your pet has a Temporary Condition that has not existed, occurred or shown noticeable signs, symptoms or an abnormality in the 18-month period immediately prior to your claim Treatment date, it will no longer be excluded from Cover as a Pre-existing Condition. Chronic Conditions and several other specified Conditions cannot fall within this category.

Read more about this.

Hereditary Conditions and Congenital Conditions will also not be considered to be a Pre-existing Condition if they have not shown noticeable signs, symptoms or an abnormality at any time before the Commencement Date of the First Policy Period or during any applicable Waiting Period.

Refer to the FAQ and Definitions section in the Product Disclosure Statements for further information and pre-existing condition examples.

Watch our video explaining more about pre-existing conditions.

As with other types of insurance, anything that existed, or you were aware of, prior to your policy commencing is generally excluded from cover. Insurance policies are there to protect against the unexpected so for this reason, claims relating to pre-existing conditions are not covered. This helps keep coverage fair for all our customers.

However, we know that some conditions can genuinely be resolved or cured. So for that reason, pre-existing conditions are assessed differently depending on whether they are chronic conditions or temporary conditions for your pet.

Refer to the “Pre-existing condition review” section of the Product Disclosure Statements for further details.

Watch our video explaining more about pre-existing conditions.

As with most insurance products, there are certain situations in which you will not be covered (exclusions).

Our policies include some general exclusions, such as:

• conditions which occurred prior to the commencement date of the first policy period or during any applicable waiting period
• dental procedures (unless you have the Ultimate Care Plan)
• routine or preventative treatments (unless Routine care (a non-insurance benefit) is purchased, which provides a contribution up to the Routine care limits)
• some elective treatments and procedures
• and breeding or obstetrics.

There may also be specific exclusions which may apply to specific levels of cover.

It is important that you read all of your policy documentation for full details.

Pet insurance costs vary depending on a number of factors including cover type, species, breed and age of the pet. To get a truly accurate idea, we suggest you get a pet insurance quote.

To get more idea of how premiums are calculated and average costs, please click here.

As an added perk of having a Bow Wow Meow policy, you can get access to a VetChat consult membership, with up to 4 consults per month for your entire current policy period.

To register for VetChat, click here to create an account to access vet care online anytime, anywhere. All you need is your email address and policy number.

Please note, VetChat is a non-insurance product that is separate from your pet insurance policy and is separately provided by VetChat Services Pty Ltd. You can learn more about VetChat here.

For your convenience and to ensure continuity of cover for your pet, we will automatically renew your policy each year unless you instruct us otherwise.

You will receive your renewal notice a few weeks before your renewal date – either by email or in the post depending on your notification preferences. This notice will specify any changes to your cover or your premium.

There’s no need to get in touch unless you would like to discuss making changes to your cover or any of your details or your pet’s details have changed. Contact us if you’d like to discuss your cover options.

Yes, all you need to do is call us with your request and we’ll let you know what’s required.

Bear in mind that your authorised person does not have the same rights as you, the policy holder. This is designed to protect your interests.

Authorised persons can make claims, enquire about claims, update payment details and change the premium collection date or frequency. They will not be able to cancel your policy, add a pet, make changes to the level of cover, register for the Pet Portal or change your contact details – these rights reside with the policy holder.

For privacy and legal reasons, we cannot release any policy information to those not authorised on your policy.

We do not provide cover or pay benefits for pre-existing conditions, unless they meet the requirements of a temporary condition.

If, after any applicable waiting period, your pet has a pre-existing condition that is a temporary condition which hasn’t existed, occurred or shown noticeable signs, symptoms or an abnormality in the 18-month period immediately prior to your claim treatment date, it won’t be excluded from cover as a pre-existing condition.

If you’d like us to check whether a temporary condition(s) is excluded from cover as a pre-existing condition, you can apply to us to check this, using the pre-existing condition review form, which is available here or contact us for assistance.

Your vet will need to certify and provide veterinary records verifying that the condition is a temporary condition and hasn’t existed, occurred or shown noticeable signs, symptoms or an abnormality for a period of 18 months. We’ll let you know in writing whether or not the pre-existing condition exclusion still applies.

You can cancel your policy with us at any time by contacting our customer service team.

The cancellation will be effective once we provide you with a written confirmation of your request, either by email or letter.

Paying annually?

If you’ve been paying your premiums annually, we’ll retain a portion of the premium that relates to the period that you’ve been insured. We’ll refund you the residual premium for the unexpired period (less any government or statutory charges that apply). We call this providing you a pro-rata refund, based on the number of days we insured you.

Paying by instalment?

If you’ve been paying your premiums by instalment, there’s no premium refund for any remaining days of a current instalment period. No further premium instalments will be deducted.

If your pet passes away

We know there is a lot going on when your pet passes away, but we’re here to help. Please contact us as soon as possible and we’ll cancel your policy from the date of your pet passing. We’ll adjust the premium, as outlined above.

Your cancellation rights during the cooling off period

Your cooling off cancellation rights apply when you buy your policy and also exist when your policy renews or is reissued following a change in your cover.

When you visit the vet, you may have several different treatments that happen in one visit – such as a vaccination and treatment for an ear infection.

While you may submit these in one claim, we need to process them per pet condition type. This will make it easy for you to see which expenses have been covered and what documents we require to complete each individual claim.

You can also see your benefit amount for each condition and if any excess has been applied.

Claims are generally processed within 5-10 business days, if we have all the required documentation.

To ensure speedy processing of your claim, you will need the following documentation:

• Itemised invoice (a paid invoice that includes individual treatment items and costs adding up to the total amount paid)
• Vet consultation notes, if you have them (these are the veterinarian’s medical notes from examination findings)

For the first claim we also require vet consultation notes for the life of your pet. If you adopted your pet at a later age, we will need documentation showing the date you took ownership. To help assist us with obtaining this vet history, you can also add your vet details in the Pet Portal.

You can submit your claim without vet consultation notes but in some cases, we may not be able to process your claim without them. If this is the case, we may need to contact you or your vet/s which may result in a delay in processing your claim.

If the required documentation is not submitted with the claim, there may be a delay and we may need to contact you or your vet/s.

Generally, for the first claim we require vet consultation notes for the life of your pet.

If you can provide us with proof of adoption or transfer of ownership papers, we will only request vet documentation from that date onwards.

You can check out the Pet portal for a summary of your coverage or refer to your PDS and Certificate of Insurance for all your coverage information.

Pre-approvals aren’t mandatory, but can provide you with additional reassurance, so if you want to know if an upcoming or specific treatment for your pet will be covered, all we need is for you to email us at claimreview@petsure.com.au with the following:

• Policy number or Policy Holder and Pet Name
• Name of the condition being treated and the proposed procedure
• Name of your regular vet and the vet where the procedure will take place
• An itemised estimate of costs relating to the procedure (optional – if you have it!)

Once we receive this information, you can expect to hear back from us within two business days.

Note: A pre-approval will not be deemed to be valid unless we have agreed to it in writing. The reimbursed amount may vary from the pre-approval if the treatment provided by your vet differs from the treatment request in the pre-approval.

If you have a complaint

We hope that you never have reason to complain, but if you do we will do our best to work with you to resolve it. Our complaints resolution process has three steps. Please let us know if you require additional assistance to lodge a complaint.

1 – Immediate Response 

Usually when you have a concern, we can resolve it immediately on the phone. If we can’t immediately resolve your concern we will treat it as a complaint and take steps to resolve your complaint as soon as possible. We will acknowledge your complaint within one business day of receiving it.

Please contact us using one of the following means: 
Phone: 1800 668 502
Writing: Bow Wow Meow Pet Insurance, Customer Service Complaints, Locked Bag 9021 Castle Hill NSW 1765

Please supply your policy number, if applicable, to enable the complaint or enquiry to be dealt with promptly. Your complaint or enquiry will be dealt with by someone with appropriate authority.

2 – Internal Dispute Resolution 

If we haven’t resolved your complaint to your satisfaction, at your request (refer to contact details provided for ‘1 – Immediate Response’), we will escalate your complaint for review by our Internal Dispute Resolution team. All escalated complaints will be acknowledged within one business days of being escalated. The Internal Dispute Resolution team will review your matter and any supporting evidence. After full consideration of the complaint a written final response will be provided that will outline the decision reached and the reasons for the decision.

3 – External Dispute Resolution 

In the event that your complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction, or a final written response has not been provided within 30 days, you can refer your complaint to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), provided your complaint is within the scope of the AFCA Rules.

AFCA is an independent dispute resolution service provided free of charge.

You may contact AFCA at:
Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) 
Mail: GPO Box 3, Melbourne VIC 3001
Phone: 1800 931 678
Website: www.afca.org.au
Email: info@afca.org.au

If you miss a payment you will be notified by SMS, email or letter.

A policy may be cancelled due to non-payment if a payment is unsuccessful on three separate occasions. If you receive communication from us regarding a missed payment, make sure your payment details are up to date. You can update your bank details through your Pet Portal or contact us to discuss your payments.

Bear in mind that if your premium cannot be paid (for example there is not enough money in your nominated account) your bank may dishonour that payment, and you may be charged a dishonour fee by your bank. Neither Hollard nor PetSure will be responsible for dishonour fees charged by your bank or financial institution should this occur.

We’ll send you a remittance advice regarding the settlement of your claim, either by email or letter, depending on your chosen means to communicate with us. This advice provides details of your claim outcome and how your claim has been processed. For Hollard issued policies, all approved benefits will be paid into your nominated bank account or by cheque. For PetSure issued policies, we’ll pay all approved benefits into your nominated bank account.

You can pay by credit card or by direct debit from a bank account.

For your convenience, you can choose to pay your premiums fortnightly, monthly or annually.

The best way to request a change to your payment date or frequency is by contacting us to discuss your payment options.

We will do what we can to find a payment schedule that suits your needs.