Pet Insurance FAQs

Pet insurance is like health insurance for your pet. If your pet unexpectedly gets sick or injured, the insurer can help you pay for veterinarian expenses you might otherwise struggle to pay yourself.

These policies typically cover unforeseen illnesses and accidental injuries and can offer additional cover for routine or preventative care. Pet insurance does not cover pre-existing conditions.

Here's how Budget Direct Pet Insurance works:

1. Get a quote and buy a Pet Insurance policy. Pay your fortnightly, monthly or yearly premium to maintain your pet’s cover.
2. After the applicable waiting period, if your pet suffers a sickness or accidental injury, take your dog or cat to a vet of your choice.
3. The vet examines your pet, performs any necessary tests and treats the condition.
4. You'll pay the veterinary treatment costs in full.
5. Then, you'll submit your Pet Insurance claim.
6. Upon acceptance of your claim, we’ll reimburse 80% of eligible vet expenses, less any applicable excess and subject to policy limits (terms, conditions and exclusions apply).

Budget Direct Pet Insurance covers only dogs and cats.

There are certain types of dogs and cats we do not insure, namely:

• Breeding animals
  
• Certain working dogs (e.g. dogs used for farming, racing, organised fighting, law enforcement, guarding or pig hunting); we do insure assistance dogs, such as guide dogs
• Banned or restricted breeds of dog
• Declared dangerous dogs

Yes, there are certain dogs we do not insure.

They include breeds or cross-breeds that are banned or restricted by your state or territory government, including:

• American Pit Bull Terrier
• Pit Bull Terrier
• Japanese Tosa
• Dogo Argentino
• Fila Brasileiro
• Perro de Presa Canario (or Presa Canario)

Yes, to be eligible for Budget Direct Pet Insurance your dog or cat must be aged over eight weeks old and under nine years old when you first take out this insurance.

If you continue to renew your policy each year, your pet can remain covered past nine years of age.

An ‘illness’ is a disease, sickness or infection suffered by your pet that:

• Causes a change to their normal, healthy state
  
• Is not caused by an accidental injury

Is independent of any pre-existing condition.

An ‘accidental injury’ is physical harm or damage to your pet caused by an accident.

An accident is a single, specific, unexpected, unintended, unpredictable, not deliberate, external event or action that occurs at a particular time and place.

It is not caused by any other event, pre-existing condition, underlying, anatomical , genetic, hereditary or developmental condition.

Yes, our Routine Care add-on options offered with our Plus and Comprehensive pet insurance policies can contribute towards: 

• Health checks
• Vaccinations
• Dental check-ups and scale and polish
• Flea, tick and worming treatments
• Blood or urine testing (non-claimable condition)
• Alternative or complementary therapy like acupuncture 

Some veterinary practice networks offer ‘wellness plans’ that can complement your pet’s insurance.

Yes. Budget Direct Pet Insurance covers 80% of the cost of drugs or medication prescribed by a registered vet to treat your pet’s covered illness or accidental injury, less any applicable excess and subject to policy limits (terms, conditions and exclusions apply).

Desexing resulting from a covered illness or accidental injury is generally covered. In most cases, desexing is an elective procedure and falls within our excluded treatments and services.

Yes. Budget Direct Pet Insurance covers 80% of the cost of diagnostic imaging (e.g. x-rays, CT, endoscopy, ultrasound, echocardiogram and MRI scans) ordered by your vet to help diagnose and treat your pet’s covered illness or accidental injury, less any applicable excess and subject to policy limits (terms, conditions and exclusions apply).

Budget Direct Pet Insurance covers 80% of the cost of surgery required to treat your pet’s covered illness or accidental injury, less any applicable excess and subject to policy limits (terms, conditions and exclusions apply).

For all the exclusions, please read the Product Disclosure Statement.

Budget Direct Pet Insurance does not cover pre-existing conditions. 

A pre-existing condition is any illness or injury that your pet showed any signs or symptoms of: 

• before your policy started 
• during any applicable waiting period.

We will not exclude cover where a pre-existing condition has been fully cured, except for recurring or related conditions, bilateral conditions or complications associated or resulting from any pre-existing condition. Fully cured means your pet has been free of any signs or symptoms, or has gone without treatment for a condition, or both, for at least 12 months as evidenced by the pet’s medical notes or veterinary history.

There are certain things Budget Direct Pet Insurance does not cover (called ‘exclusions’).

Essential Pet Insurance does not cover routine or preventative care. However, our Comprehensive and Plus policies have optional Routine Care cover options available. 

Some of the additional exclusions include:

• Pre-existing conditions
• Dental procedures (unless the condition is due to an accidental injury)
• Breeding and obstetrics
• Working dogs (we do insure assistance dogs, such as guide dogs)
  • Working dogs include dogs used for racing, organised fighting, law enforcement, guarding or pig hunting.
• Treatment during the waiting period(s) 

For the full list of exclusions, please read the Product Disclosure Statement.

Yes, Budget Direct Pet Insurance customers can take their pet to any registered vet in Australia.

Yes, after buying Budget Direct Pet Insurance for the first time, policyholders must serve a waiting period before they’re allowed to make certain types of claims.

Waiting periods start on the day the policy starts. Here is an example of the waiting periods and cover start dates based on a policy start date of 29/11/2023.

Budget Direct Pet Insurance covers 80% of the cost of your eligible vet bills, less any applicable excess, up to the relevant remaining annual limit or sub-limit (terms, conditions and exclusions apply).

For example, say you have a claim for $1,000 of eligible vet expenses and when you purchased your policy, you selected a benefit percentage of 80% and a $100 excess:

• The 80% benefit percentage means that the reimbursement total value is $800
  
• The remaining 20% is your co-payment
• We deduct your excess of $100 from the amount we pay
• We pay you $700.

If you chose a higher excess we would further reduce the amount we paid. For example, if you had a $200 excess we would pay $600 in this scenario.

Note that an annual benefit sub-limit of $4,000, $8,000 or $25,000, depending on your level of cover, applies to surgery for broken legs and other orthopaedic conditions.

The period of time for which your pet is insured. This is shown on your Policy Schedule. Each period of insurance is 12-months, resetting each time your policy renews.

Yes, you can claim up to a maximum of $12,000, $15,000 or $25,000 per 12-month period of cover for all your eligible vet bills depending on your level of cover.

Annual benefit sub-limits also apply to certain conditions depending on your level of cover. 

Each time you renew your annual policy, the overall limit and sub-limits will be reset. They won’t accumulate across policy periods.

Find out how to make a claim on your pet insurance policy.

Yes, you will pay your selected excess once for each unrelated condition during any one period of cover. For further treatments of a related condition during the same period of cover there is no excess.

For example, if your dog needs diabetes treatment twice during the 12-month policy period, you’ll be required to pay the excess for the first claim for that condition, but not the second.

Similarly, if your dog develops a condition that’s related to one you’ve already claimed (e.g. diabetic retinopathy stemming from diabetes), you won’t have to pay another excess.

Each time you renew your annual policy, the excess will be reset (in other words, the next time you make a claim for a related illness or injury, you’ll be required to pay the excess).

You can pay for your Budget Direct Pet Insurance premium by direct debit from your bank account, credit card or debit card (Visa or Mastercard).

You can pay fortnightly, monthly or annually (the third option is the most economical).

Yes, with Budget Direct Pet Insurance, you can insure as many dogs and/or cats as you want.

You can insure up to four pets online; if you want to insure more, please call us on 1800 931 664.

An ‘orthopaedic condition’ is any condition of the bones, muscles, cartilage, tendons, ligaments and joints.  

Common orthopaedic illnesses in dogs and/or cats include:

• Hip dysplasia
  
• Intervertebral disc disease
• Patella luxation
• Elbow dysplasia

Claims for orthopaedic conditions are subject to a waiting period of two days (accidental injury) and 30 days (illness) and an annual benefit sub-limit of $4,000, $8,000 or $25,000 depending on your level of cover.

The exception is cruciate ligament conditions, which have a waiting period of six months and an annual sub-limit of $2,600 or $3,500 depending on your level of cover.

A bilateral condition is one that can happen on both sides of your pet’s body, for example, one that affects its eyes, ears, or legs.

If your pet is diagnosed with a bilateral condition that is covered by us, we will also cover the condition if it occurs on the other side of its body.

If your pet develops a bilateral condition that is not covered by us, we will not cover the condition on either side of its body.

For example, if your pet has a pre-existing bilateral condition, the corresponding body part on the other side of its body will also be deemed a pre-existing condition — it won’t be covered.

So, if your dog has a pre-existing cruciate ligament condition or injury in its left knee, the same condition or injury in its right knee will not be covered.

If you’re unhappy with any of our decisions or actions, you may make a complaint. Budget Direct’s complaints process is as follows:

Yes, Budget Direct Pet Insurance does cover genetic conditions, as long as your pet shows no signs or symptoms and hasn’t received treatment prior to taking out a policy or during any applicable waiting periods.

Yes, Budget Direct Pet Insurance can cover vet consultations (without sub-limits) as long as the condition being treated and claimed is one that is eligible for benefit. 

This may also apply to hospitalisation costs at a veterinary practice as well as any after-hours fees where they are considered necessary.

Yes, Budget Direct Pet Insurance does have a benefit that covers your pet if they get bitten or strangled by a snake. 

A benefit sub-limit of $1,000, $1,500 or $3,000 does apply to this condition depending on your level of cover and we will not pay any more than this during any one period of cover, regardless of how many claims are made.

No, Budget Direct Pet Insurance does not cover dental procedures that are not caused directly by an accidental injury. This includes cosmetic dentistry, removal of deciduous teeth, and treatment of gingivitis, tartar or periodontitis.

Our Comprehensive and Plus policies have an optional Routine Care cover option available that can cover dental check-ups including scale and polishing.  Please note, this is not an option for Essential policy holders.

Yes, Budget Direct Pet Insurance does cover orthopaedic conditions of the bones, muscles, cartilage, tendons and ligaments so long as your pet only started showing signs or symptoms of the condition after taking out your policy and after any waiting periods. 

An annual benefit sub-limit of $4,000, $8,000 or $25,000, depending on your level of cover, applies to hip dysplasia and other orthopaedic conditions. We will not pay any more for any orthopaedic condition during any one period of cover. Overall annual policy limits also apply and there is a 30-day waiting period.

Yes, Budget Direct Pet Insurance policies do cover orthopaedic conditions of the bones, muscles, cartilage, tendons and ligaments so long as your pet only started showing signs or symptoms of the condition after taking out your policy and after any waiting periods. 

An annual benefit sub-limit of $4,000, $8,000 or $25,000, depending on your level of cover, applies to elbow dysplasia and other orthopaedic conditions. We will not pay any more for any orthopaedic condition during any one period of cover. Overall annual policy limits also apply and there is a 30-day waiting period.

Yes, Budget Direct Pet Insurance does cover cruciate surgery and treatment with some exclusions and limitations. 

However, we do not cover treatment for pre-existing cruciate conditions, including those that occur during the waiting period. 

An annual benefit sub-limit of $2,600 to $3,500, depending on your level of cover, applies to cruciate ligament conditions, and we will not pay any more than this during any one period of cover. Overall annual policy limits also apply and there is a six-month waiting period.

If we cover your pet for a cruciate ligament condition, we’ll also cover other related conditions (that develop later) in that same knee. 

A cruciate ligament condition can occur in both knees and is therefore considered a bilateral condition. So, if we cover a cruciate ligament condition on one side of your pet’s body, we’ll cover the condition if it occurs on the other side. 

However, if your pet has a pre-existing cruciate ligament condition, we will not cover a cruciate ligament condition if it occurs on the other side. For example, if your pet’s left knee has a pre-existing cruciate ligament condition, we will not cover that condition in either knee.

Yes, Budget Direct Pet Insurance will cover dog bites and/or attacks if a specific injury or illness occurs as a result but if your pet bites, attacks or does any damage to another animal or human, it will not be covered. 

However, if your pet bites another animal or human and they retaliate against your pet, pet insurance may cover the damage caused by the retaliation towards your pet.

Our Pet Insurance limits coverage for any condition caused by preventable activity if it results in your pet needing repeated veterinary treatment. After two separate but similar claims conditions caused by similar preventable activity, including fight wounds or bite wounds, you will not be covered for the rest of the period.

Yes, Budget Direct Pet Insurance can cover your pet if they suffer from diabetes and you’ve noticed a change in your once normal and healthy pet. 

Please keep in mind that diabetes will not be covered if it’s a pre-existing condition.

Yes, Pet Insurance can cover cataract surgery if the cataracts are a coverable condition for your pet and if the surgery is required as treatment of this condition.

While Budget Direct Pet Insurance covers 80% of the cost of surgery to treat your pet’s covered illness or accidental injury, less any applicable excess and subject to policy limits (terms, conditions and exclusions apply), this cover does not include elective surgeries.

Cataracts can occur in both eyes and are therefore considered a bilateral condition. So, if we cover a bilateral condition on one side of your pet’s body, we’ll cover the condition if it occurs on the other side. 

However, if your pet has a pre-existing bilateral condition, we will not cover the condition if it occurs on the other side. For example, if your pet’s left eye has pre-existing cataracts, we will not cover that condition in either eye.

Yes, Budget Direct Pet Insurance will cover an injury, physical harm or damage to your pet, including broken bones, caused by an accident up to $4,000, $8,000 or $25,000 depending on your level of cover. For example, if a car hits your dog and it breaks its leg then this would be considered an accidental injury. 

It does not cover any claim for malicious or wilful injury to your pet caused by you, anyone acting on your behalf, or anyone living with you. Waiting periods and an overall annual policy limit also apply.

Yes, Budget Direct Pet Insurance does cover orthopaedic conditions of the bones, muscles, cartilage, tendons and ligaments, including IVDD so long as the condition is not pre-existing. 

An annual benefit sub-limit of $4,000, $8,000 or $25,000, depending on your level of cover, applies to Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) and other conditions and we will not pay any more than this during any one period of cover. Annual policy limits also apply, as well as a 30-day waiting period.

Yes, Budget Direct Pet Insurance covers orthopaedic conditions of the bones, muscles, cartilage, tendons and ligaments, including luxating patella surgery so long as the condition is not pre-existing.

An annual benefit sub-limit of $4,000, $8,000 or $25,000, depending on your level of cover, applies to luxating patella surgery and other conditions and we will not pay any more than this during any one period of cover. Annual policy limits also apply, as well as a 30-day waiting period.

Yes, Budget Direct Pet Insurance can cover allergy testing as long as the condition is covered under the policy and these tests are required (not elective).

Yes, Budget Direct Pet Insurance does cover cancer treatments so long as it is not a pre-existing condition and arose after applicable waiting periods. 

This includes but is not limited to, any cancers, tumours or malignant lumps and masses. If your pet has bone cancer, a $4,000, $8,000 or $25,000 sub-limit applies depending on your level of cover. Overall annual limits, waiting periods and exclusions also apply.

For more details about whether your pet is covered for masses or lumps, please read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS).

Once you’ve lodged your pet insurance claim, leave it with us and within 5 business days, we’ll contact you if we need any more information. 

On acceptance of your claim, we’ll reimburse you 80% of your eligible vet expenses, less any applicable excess and subject to policy limits (terms, conditions and exclusions apply).

Yes, Budget Direct Pet Insurance covers assistance dogs and guide dogs.

No, to apply for Budget Direct Pet Insurance your puppy must be over eight weeks old. This is similar to most pet insurers.

Yes, Budget Direct Pet Insurance offers competitive cover for all cats and we don’t distinguish between indoor and outdoor cats. Pet insurance is there to cover any unforeseen illnesses or accidental injuries.

Budget Direct Pet Insurance is available for kittens over eight weeks old. Some people prefer to insure their kittens as early as possible when they’re less likely to have pre-existing conditions and therefore they’ll be less likely to have limitations around what’s covered in their pet insurance policy.