Questions and answers

This is the portion we cover for eligible vet expenses or items, subject to any applicable excess. Note: The benefit percentage does not apply to non-insurance routine care items.

This is the amount that you are required to contribute towards the cost of your claim(s) per policy period and is applied to each claim in the policy period until fully paid. The annual excess resets each time you renew.

You can start your pet’s cover any time before the age of 9 years when you first apply. As long as we continue to provide the product, we’ll offer renewal of your policy every year for your pet’s life (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.

For Nose-to-Tail Cover, an accidental injury refers to physical harm to your pet due to an unexpected and unintended external event and excludes any harm resulting from a behavioural condition, specified dental condition or any sickness or disease.

This cover extends to a wide range of accidental injuries which may include:

• motor vehicle incidents;
• injuries caused by another animal including rough play;
• falls from heights;
• cuts, lacerations and stick injuries;
• grass seed embedment or entrapment;
• traumatically fractured teeth;
• near drowning;
• burns, heatstroke or frostbite;
• exposure to venomous bites such as snake bite and tick paralysis;
• reactions to bites or stings from insects, or other critters (excluding infestations such as mites or fleas);
• toxicity from ingesting harmful substances like chocolate, rat bait or grapes (excluding any illicit drugs); and
• ingestion of foreign objects (excluding instances of gastroenteritis caused by ingestion of inappropriate food items or common environmental substances such as garbage).

Refer to your PDS for a list of General exclusions.

For Nose-To-Tail Cover, an illness is a sickness or disease that is not an accidental injury, specified dental condition or behavioural condition.

Subject to policy terms and conditions, this cover extends to a wide range of illnesses which may include:

• skin allergies;
• ear infections;
• gastrointestinal conditions such as gastroenteritis, intestinal parasites or pancreatitis;
• masses, lumps and cancer;
• eye conditions such as conjunctivitis, entropion or cataracts;
• musculoskeletal conditions such as arthritis, hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) or patella luxation (dislocating kneecap);
• infectious diseases such as leptospirosis, heartworm, cat flu or kennel cough;
• urinary diseases such as urinary infection, blood in urine or blocked bladder;
• endocrine diseases such as diabetes, Cushing’s or hyperthyroidism;
• emergency situations such as gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV), seizures and anaphylactic reactions;
• urogenital diseases such as pyometra, hooded vulva or enlarged prostate;
• kidney diseases such as chronic kidney disease, acute kidney injury or kidney stones; and
• respiratory diseases such as asthma, bronchitis or pneumonia.

Refer to your PDS for a list of General exclusions.

Having a pet insurance policy with us means you now have access to myPetPass^TM, bring you offers and benefits to help keep your pet happy and healthy. myPetPass^TM gives you access to:

• Live Vet – 24/7 access to an experienced vet online, at no additional cost, accessible directly from the Customer Portal
• discounted pet prescription meds
• PLUS savings on pet care essentials, and more!

We will be updating offers and adding extra benefits all the time, so be sure to check out www.mypetpass.com.au to see all the latest perks available to you just by having a policy with us.

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 change the cover for your pet by choosing cover with different or additional benefits, where available to you, provided you haven’t made a claim in your current policy period.

If you have made a claim, then your cover can be changed when your policy is due for renewal – just contact us when you receive your renewal documents to discuss your cover.

Note: Waiting periods already completed won’t be reapplied unless there has been a break or lapse in your cover. If you change the Bow Wow Meow Pet Insurance product and/or level of cover you have for your pet, with a different product and/or level of cover, waiting periods will only apply to any conditions or benefits covered by the new product and/or level of cover that weren’t covered under your previous product or level of cover.

Bow Wow Meow will pay up to 90% of eligible vet fees per annum, up to a maximum of the annual benefit limit that is stated in your policy documentation, subject to the benefit percentage and any applicable excess.  Our annual benefit limits for Nose-to-Tail Cover are $10,000, $20,000 or $30,000.

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.

A waiting period is the period that your pet is not covered starting from the commencement date of the first policy period in which you obtained cover for the applicable condition or benefit.

Depending on your level of cover, there may be different waiting periods that apply:

• Accidental injuries 2 days
• Illnesses 30 days
• Cruciate ligament conditions 6 months
• Specified dental conditions 6 months
• Behavioural conditions 30 days

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

Cruciate ligament condition waiting period waiver

We will agree to waive cruciate ligament condition waiting period if:

• your vet sends us a completed and signed “Cruciate Ligament Exam Form” within 14 calendar days of the cruciate examination date, certifying that your pet was examined by your vet at your expense on or after the commencement date of the first policy period; and
• the evidence from your vet meets our assessment criteria as set out in the above form, and we confirm this in writing to you.

Depending on the benefit percentage chosen, you will receive up to 70%, 80% or 90% of the eligible cost of treatment for your dog or cat, subject to the annual benefit limit 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.

Our Nose-to-Tail Cover offers 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

A pre-existing condition is:

• A condition that existed or occurred prior to the commencement date of your first policy period or within any applicable waiting period; AND

• A condition that you were aware of, or a reasonable person in your circumstances would have been aware of, irrespective of whether the underlying or causative condition has been diagnosed.

A pre-existing condition also includes a related condition or bilateral condition of a pre-existing condition.

If at any time you’d like us to check whether a 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 exclusion still applies.

As with most insurance products, there are certain situations in which you will not be covered. There are some general exclusions such as:

• Pre-existing conditions

• Routine or preventative treatments (unless routine care (non-insurance benefit) is purchased, which provides a contribution up to the routine care limit)

• Elective treatments and procedures

• Breeding or obstetrics

• Orthodontic treatment

• Genetic/chromosome testing

Note: Scaling, polishing, dental x-rays and tooth removal for specified dental conditions may be eligible for cover under Booster Care if you have this.

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.

Simply click on ‘Live Vet’ in the top navigation bar of your Pet Portal and you can connect to an experienced Australian registered vet to help your pet within minutes, via chat or video call online. You need to log in to your portal to access, so if you haven’t already registered, head to the sign-up page.

For your convenience and to ensure continuity of cover for your pet, as long as we continue to provide the product, we’ll offer renewal of your policy every 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.

GapOnly® and eClaims

The easiest way to make a claim is at the vet with GapOnly®. If your vet is GapOnly® enabled, you can claim on the spot with GapOnly®, and it’s assessed by us within 10 minutes (where available). Once the claim has been processed and if approved, you simply pay the gap (the difference between the vet’s invoice and the calculated benefit). Alternatively, if you’re unable to wait, you can ask your vet to submit an eClaim on your behalf. Head to the ‘Find a vet’ page on the GapOnly® website to find your closest GapOnly® vet clinic.

Making a claim yourself

You can also submit a claim through the

GapOnly® and eClaims

The easiest way to make a claim is at the vet with GapOnly®. If your vet is GapOnly® enabled, you can claim on the spot with GapOnly®, and it’s assessed by us within 10 minutes (where available). Once the claim has been processed and if approved, you simply pay the gap (the difference between the vet’s invoice and the calculated benefit). Alternatively, if you’re unable to wait, you can ask your vet to submit an eClaim on your behalf. Head to the ‘Find a vet’ page on the GapOnly® website to find your closest GapOnly® vet clinic.

Making a claim yourself

You can also submit a claim through the Pet Portal.

To make a claim, through the Pet Portal, 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)

• We may also contact you for more information and additional documentation if needed

If submitting a claim via post, the same documentation needs to be submitted as above, accompanied by a completed claim form. Both you and your vet must sign the claim form.

All accounts must be paid to your vet in full before submitting your claim.

For adopted pets, veterinary history is only required from when you took ownership. You’ll need to provide us with proof of adoption or transfer of ownership papers.

To make a claim, through the Pet Portal, 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)

• We may also contact you for more information and additional documentation if needed

If submitting a claim via post, the same documentation needs to be submitted as above, accompanied by a completed claim form. Both you and your vet must sign the claim form.

All accounts must be paid to your vet in full before submitting your claim.

For adopted pets, veterinary history is only required from when you took ownership. You’ll need to provide us with proof of adoption or transfer of ownership papers.

We will assess your claim in accordance with your policy cover, including:

• Your benefit percentage, annual benefit limit and additional limits for optional benefits (where applicable) stated on your certificate of insurance.

• The annual excess amount (if any) stated on your certificate of insurance.

• The terms and conditions of your policy (for example, waiting periods and exclusions).

The following calculations provide examples of how claims will be paid where a condition is covered by the policy:

Claims examples:

It is important to understand how your selected policy excess and benefit percentage can impact on your out-of-pocket expenses when you make a claim. For example, choosing a lower excess and a higher benefit percentage will increase your premium, but can help lower your out-of-pocket costs at claim time.

Claim 1

This example is a simple case showing how the policy benefit percentage and annual excess is applied for the first claim made in a policy period.

Selected cover:

• 80% benefit percentage
• $20,000 benefit limit
• $250 annual excess

Claim 2

This example shows how the policy benefit percentage and annual excess is applied for a second claim made in the same policy period where the annual excess has already been paid in full for the previous claim.

Claim example for Routine Care

This example shows how the policy benefit would be calculated on a Routine Care benefit where the benefit percentage and annual excess is not applicable.

Refer to the PDS for more information. 

Note: these are examples only. Not all conditions or treatments will be covered, and policy limits may vary.

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.

In some instances, we may require more information to process a claim such as additional veterinary history, for example where there is a large history gap. If you can provide us with proof of adoption or transfer of ownership papers, we will only request vet documentation from that date onwards.

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 [email protected] with the following:

• Policy number

• Name of the condition being treated, and the treatment required

• Name of your regular vet and the vet where the procedure will take place

• Relevant clinic records and/or veterinary history

• 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. A variation in the amount we cover may also occur if you have reached your benefit limit, Booster Care limit (if applicable), or Routine Care limit (if applicable) on the claim.

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: [email protected]

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.