Planning Ahead

Petsy allows you to streamline your pet insurance experience by completing the following steps after purchasing your pet insurance policy:

1. Apply for a reduction of the Specified Conditions and optional Dental Illness Waiting Periods: Submit an application to request the 6-month Waiting Period applicable for Specified Conditions (and others, e.g. Dental Illness) to be reduced or waived
2. Request a Pre-existing Assessment: Request a Pre-existing Condition assessment of your pet to gain clarity on what Pre-existing Conditions may apply and are excluded from cover. You can ask your vet for a complete medical exam of your pet at your next visit to the clinic

Once the assessment is complete, we will issue an updated Certificate of Insurance, which lists any identified Pre-existing Conditions that are excluded from cover as well as the new reduced Waiting Periods, if applicable.

(Note that this can only be completed based on the available information and its possible that additional information received in the future results in the identification of additional Pre-existing Conditions), and where we have accepted to do so, the new reduced Waiting Period applicable for Specified Conditions for your policy.

How to apply to have certain Waiting Periods reduced and request a Pre-existing assessment

To consider whether we will reduce the Waiting Period, we require:

1. A completed Waiting Period Reduction Application Form
   A completed request form from you, which  requires you to have your pet examined by a vet at your own expense; and
2. Copies of your pet’s medical history & clinical notes to complete a Pre-Existing Assessment
   To request a Pre-Existing Condition assessment be completed, email [email protected] with a list of all the vet clinics your pet has received treatment and attach a complete copy of your pet’s medical history and the treating vet’s notes from each of those vet clinics.
   

During our assessment of the application, we will review the information provided to us, and if we are satisfied with the medical history and clinical notes provided, will confirm whether there are any identified or suspected Specified Conditions (and others). 

Where we decide that there aren’t any identified or suspected Specified Conditions (and others), we may reduce or waive the Waiting Period for those Specified Conditions (and others).

We will confirm the outcome of your application and our decision to approve the reduction of the Waiting Period, (or not) and will provide you with an updated Certificate of Insurance which lists the agreed Specified Conditions (and others) and the new reduced Waiting Period, if applicable.

Waiting Periods apply from the time your policy starts, even if you have decided to switch to Petsy Pet Insurance from another provider’s pet insurance policy, and when you upgrade your level of cover with Petsy.

The waiting periods are:

Specified Conditions means cruciate ligament damage, intervertebral disc disease, hip dysplasia, patella luxation, elbow dysplasia, osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), cherry eye, entropion, ectropion, and Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS) and Lumps. Lumps are not considered a Specified Condition if Your Pet was under one (1) year old on the First Date of Cover or when Your cover increased.

Why request a Pre-existing Condition assessment?

At Petsy we value transparency. It is very important to us that we are as clear and upfront as possible about the cover available under the policy, and we therefore offer a Pre-existing Condition assessment that can be completed after you purchase a policy for your pet to help you understand what we consider to be a Pre-existing Condition and is excluded from cover.

If you decide not to get a Pre-existing Condition assessment (completed straight after purchasing a policy), we still require a complete assessment including your pet’s medical history with your first claim. This will also include conditions (including signs & symptoms of conditions) contained in the medical history during an applicable Waiting Period. An updated Certificate of Insurance is issued confirming the outcome of the assessment.

If your Pet has Pre-existing Conditions, we will advise whether any Pre-existing Conditions are able to be reviewed at a future date, the earliest future date you may request a review and any supporting information we will require at that time.

Please note that exclusions are not automatically removed at the exclusion review date, and exclusions will only be removed if we are satisfied the medical evidence confirms the Pre-existing Condition has been successfully treated or resolved. If a Pre-existing Condition is not reviewable, it will be permanently excluded from your cover.

How to obtain a copy of your pet’s medical history

When you submit your first claim, the claims team will require a copy of your pet’s complete medical history from all vet clinics your pet has been to. This will usually mean that subsequent claims will just require the invoice and the vet consultation notes for the claimed visit.

If a complete medical exam of your pet isn’t completed when you first purchase your pet insurance policy, it will be helpful to keep a list of all vets that your pet consults so that if you need to submit a claim, we can quickly contact them for a complete medical history which will help avoid delays.

We can contact the vets on your behalf, to save you from having to collate the medical history(s) from the vet clinics. If you would like us to organise this for you, please email [email protected] with the following information:

• Your Full Name
• Your Policy Number
• Your Pet’s Name
• The list of vet clinics and/or hospitals your pet has been to, including the name of the practice and the postcode

If you require  assistance with retrieving your vet history or with organising a medical examination, please get in touch by emailing [email protected]

Download the Waiting Period Reduction Application Form

Download the BOAS Waiting Period Reduction Application Form