FAQ's
How long do I have to submit a claim after my pet had treatment?
We have recently made a change to our claims procedure. You no longer need to submit your claims within 90 days of treatment. There is no time limit to submitting a claim for your pet.
Can I visit any Vet?
Yes, you can visit any vet (other than yourself) that is registered to legally practice as a veterinarian in Australia. Please note, although it is rare, if expenses incurred by you with respect to the Treatment significantly exceed what is reasonable and expected, having regard to the circumstances in which the Treatment was provided, then claim payments may be adjusted to the amount of reasonable and expected expenses.
If your Pet requires treatment, you can seek a claim pre-approval, whereby we can provide you with the details of your claim reimbursement. To request a pre-approval, simply call us on 1300 457 046.
Can I continue to insure my pet as they get older?
Yes. As long as your pet in insured with us under the Standard, Premium or Indoor Cat policy before the age of 9, or under the Basic policy before the age of 6, and as long as we continue to provide this product and you continue to hold the policy without a break, lapse or change in the level of coverage, you’re able to continue insuring your pet as they get older.
Please note for Basic and Indoor Cat plans your benefit percentage will reduce to 65% when your pet turns 8 (upon renewal).
What is not covered?
As with most insurance products, there are certain situations where you will not be covered. There are some general exclusions such as Pre-existing Conditions, dental procedures, fractured teeth, routine or preventative Treatments (unless you have Premium Cover which provides a contribution up to the Routine Care limits), some Elective Treatments and procedures and breeding and obstetrics. There may also be specific exclusions which may apply to specific levels of Cover.
Refer to the applicable Product Disclosure Statement for the list of exclusions.
How do I make a claim?
When you take out a Pounce Pet Insurance policy, you will be able to register for our secure pet portal, customer.pouncepetinsurance.com.au where claiming is easy. Simply upload a copy of your vet's tax invoice and consultation notes. If it is your first claim you will need to attach a relevant veterinary history. You can access a claim form from here. Alternatively you can call 1300 457 046.
Does Pounce cover hereditary and congenital defects?
Yes, provided they have not shown any noticeable signs, symptoms or an abnormality at any time before the Commencement Date of the First Policy Period or during any applicable Waiting Period.
I already have a wonderful vet. Can my pet still visit them?
Absolutely. With Pounce Pet Insurance, you have the freedom to choose any registered vet in Australia.
Are ongoing conditions covered for the life of my pet?
Yes. As long as you continue you renew your policy with us each year without a break, lapse or change in the level of coverage and as long as we continue to provide this product, we will continue to provide cover for chronic or lifelong conditions such as diabetes or arthritis. Benefits for these conditions, like any other, are subject to the annual policy limits and exclude Pre-existing Conditions.
Please refer to the applicable Product Disclosure Statement for full details.
| Product |
Indoor Cat |
Basic |
Standard |
Premium |
| Waiting periods (from the Commencement Date of the First Policy Period) |
30 Days for Illness Conditions covered under the policy 6 months for Cancer Conditions |
0 Days for Specified Accidental Injuries 30 Days for illness & tick paralysis |
0 Days for Specified Accidental Injuries 30 Days for Illness Conditions covered under the policy 6 months for Cruciate Ligament Conditions |
0 Days for Specified Accidental Injuries 30 Days for Illness Conditions covered under the policy 6 months for Cruciate Ligament Conditions 6 months for Dental if you have selected this option |
Please refer to the applicable Product Disclosure Statement for full details.
How do you calculate my premium?
New policies
Your premium is calculated using a combination of factors about you and your pet. These factors can affect the premium amount up or down depending upon whether we believe it increases or decreases the risk to us, such as the cover you have chosen, the benefit percentage applicable to the cover you have chosen, where you and your pet permanently live, your age and the species, breed, gender of your pet, the current age of your pet, the age you first insured your pet, and other factors related to our cost of doing business.
Renewing policies
Factors that are taken into consideration for renewal premium calculation include your pet’s age, breed, location, duration for which your pet has been insured, claims history, as well as data relating to the health of pets that are a similar age and breed. Each year we review premiums based on these factors to ensure we can accommodate the costs of possible treatment up to your annual benefit limit, in the event that your pet becomes injured or ill.
Will my premium increase every year?
Yes, your premium will increase each year. This is for two main reasons:
Reason #1: 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 likely veterinary treatment costs 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.
Will my premium increase even if I don’t submit claims?
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.
Is my premium calculated the same way as my Private Health Insurance?
No. Pet insurance does not work like health insurance. 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.
Can I cancel my pet’s policy?
You may cancel your policy at any time. We understand circumstances can change and would like to see if we can help keep your cover active. Please call our customer service team on 1300 457 046 or send us an email at contact@pouncepetinsurance.com.au so we can discuss your options.
If you do decide to cancel, we will issue a pro-rata refund for the uninsured period where premiums are paid annually, less any applicable government or statutory charges. If you pay by instalments, we will not deduct any further premiums after the date of cancellation.
What is a Pre-existing Condition?
Refer to your Product Disclosure Statement for information about pre-existing conditions.
How do I apply for a Pre-existing Condition review?
If your pet has had a temporary condition that was subject to the pre-existing condition exclusion, you can apply to have it reviewed.
Your vet will need to certify and provide veterinary records verifying that the condition remains a temporary condition and has not existed, occurred or shown noticeable signs, symptoms or an abnormality for a period of 18 months.
This can also automatically be reviewed when you submit your first claim for that condition.
The pre-existing condition exclusion(s) will not be deemed to have been lifted unless agreed to by us in writing. You can download a copy of the Pre-existing Condition Review Form from the Documents page.
If your pet has a chronic condition that existed or occurred before the commencement date of your first policy period or during any applicable waiting period, that condition will always be excluded from your policy.
Can I seek pre-approval of my Pet’s upcoming Treatment?
Yes. If your pet requires treatment and you wish to seek pre-approval of those costs, you can provide us with the itemised estimate of costs from your vet, along with the treatment required and relevant clinical records and/or veterinary history, and we will respond to you in writing with the outcome.
For more information on how to seek pre-approval, please click here.