Comparison of NZ Pet Insurances
When you suddenly find your treasured family pet or horse, sick or injured, the last thing you want to worry about is an expensive bill from your vet. More and more people in New Zealand realize the benefits that pet insurance has to offer. Accordingly the number of pet insurances has recently increased and there are now three dedicated pet insurances to choose from (Pet Plan, Southern Cross and Pet-n-sure). Southern Cross offers an accident only policy, AcciPet, a bit like ACC for pets. We have compared the main features and compiled a table to make it easier for you to compare and choose a plan and hope you find this a valuable resource.
| Premium Cats / month |
Premium Dogs / month |
Select Breeds / month |
Max. Annual Payout | Annual Excess/per
condition |
|
| Pet n Sur | |||||
| Silver | $28.22 | $35.66 | $46.72 |
$2,500 surgery, $1,500 medicine |
30% |
| Gold | $31.04 | $44.07 | $57.35 |
$ 4,000 surgery, $2,000 medicine |
20% |
| Platinum | $49.97 | $59.89 | $74.78 |
$ 6,000 surgery, $3,000 medicine |
20% |
| Rhodium | $32.64 | $52.64 | $68.10 |
$ 6,000 |
Fixed $150 |
|
Southern Cross |
|||||
| Bronze | $20.32 ($16.25) | $34.53 ($28.44) | $43.16 ($35.55) | $2,500 | |
| Silver | $32.83 ($24.62) | $53.00 ($39.75) | $79.50 ($59.63) | $5,000 | Excess is Zero |
| Gold | $58.92 ($34.37) | $81.20 ($47.71) | $101.50 ($59.63) | $10,000 | or (20%) |
| Blue | $61.31 ($37.45) | $86.87 ($54.85) | $108.59 ($68.57) | $15,000 |
for Figures in Brackets |
| Acci Pet | $20.87 ($10.24) | $32.02 ($16.22) | $40.02 ($20.28) | $5,000 |
Excess is Zero |
| Pet Plan | |||||
| 12 Months Essential | $44.35 (DSH) | $20.25 (1 year old Labrador X) | Based on breed |
$7,000 (cats + dogs) |
Excess is $150 for all plans if under age requirements (dogs) Excess is $125 for all plans if under age requirements (cats) |
| Covered for Life Classic 1 | $58.55 (DSH) | $26.42 (1 year old Labrador X) | Based on breed |
$10,000 (dogs) $9,000 (cats) |
Standard breeds (dogs) 8+ years = $150 + 20% Standard breeds (dogs) 10+ years = $150 + 35% |
| Covered for Life Classic 2 | $65.66 (DSH) | $29.51 (1 year old Labrador X) | Based on breed |
$15,000 (dogs) $10,000 (cats) |
Select breeds 4+ years (dogs) = $150 + 20% Select breeds 7+ years (dogs) = $150 + 35% |
| Covered for Life Ultimate | $79.87 (DSH) | $35.69 (1 year old Labrador X) | Based on breed |
$20,000 (dogs) $15,000 (cats) |
Cats 8+ years = $125 + 20% Cats 10+ years = $125 + 35% |
Beware of the small print!!!
2.) Special surgical problems and cancer: Pet Plan is the only insurance to pay out the full annual allowance. PetnSure pays only a limited amount.
a. Cruciate ligament surgery -> PetnSure only pays limited amount
b. Dentistry: Again PetPlan pays out where the others don’t (PetnSure only pay for accidents, not for tooth
c. Patella surgery (kneecap) -> PetnSure limits the payout
d. Blockages -> apart from Petnsure all other insurance pay for this condition in full
e. Inherited conditions – are covered, unless pre-existing (known to owner at time of application)
3.) Excess:
i. Minimum excess: Pet Plan makes it easy and charges a standard one-off excess of $ 150 per annum and condition. So once the animal is insured, the cost per problem is limited to $ 150 per year until the animal reaches the cut off age.
ii. Percentage excess: all other insurances charge the excess as a percentage (between 15% and 30%). So if the total bill is $ 2000, the excess is between $ 300 and $ 600
iii. Age excess: PetnSure will raise the excess to an additional 15% of once the animal has reached the age of 10 years, Pet Plan even to 35% of the claim, Southern Cross raises the Premium by 30%.
PetPlan Policies
PetPlan have recently changed their available plans. Every breed at different ages will now have a specific premium to pay - we therefore suggest using the PetPlan policy calculator to find out the cost of insurance for your pet.
Cover for death now costs $4 on top of the policy premium
Covered for Life: Where chronic or reoccurring illnesses are covered for the life of the pet, provided the policy is renewed each year without break
Guaranteed Lifetime Cover: only guarantees to cover the pet in old age, not lifelong or chronic illnesses
Maximum Benefit Cover: Will only cover to a set amount Per Condition, then the condition is excluded
12 Months Cover: Conditions are covered for 12 months, then the condition is excluded)
Disclaimer:
We have done our best to give you a good overview of all pet insurances available. However, this is our personal opinion and we strongly recommend that you ring the prospective insurance company and verify the above before taking out a policy as plans are subject to change. At Mount Vet Hospital, we do not receive any commission of any insurance company.
