Pet insurance - FAQs

Your policy will commence at (23h59) on the day that your application has been accepted by us. You may make a claim for an accidental injury that occurred after the commencement date. A 30-day waiting period applies for illness condition claims provided you have chosen Illness Cover, available only under Pet Premium and Pet Premium plus Routine Care. There is also a 6 month waiting period that applies for cruciate ligament injuries and conditions irrespective of your cover level. This waiting period may be waived by having the Cruciate Ligament Waiver Form completed in accordance with the instructions detailed in the Form completed for your pet.

It is any condition (illness or injury) or symptoms or signs of that condition occurring or existing in any form prior to the Commencement Date of your policy or during the policy waiting period. Simply put, we offer cover to protect pets for eligible conditions that arise after insurance has been taken out.

You are required to submit your claim within 90 days of your pet receiving treatment. The vet must complete a small section of the claim form and sign it, so take a printed claim form with you when you visit your vet.

It’s important to note if you’re lodging your first claim or your pet has been insured under HCF Pet Insurance for less than 6 months, you’ll need to attach a completed veterinary history from both current and previous veterinary clinics. If you’ve provided this information previously, there’s no need for you to submit it again.

Once PetSure (our administrator) receives the documentation they need, your claim will be processed without delay and payment will be made to the policyholder by cheque or directly into a nominated account.

Aside from your first claim, in many cases your claim can be processed directly without veterinary records being required. However, in some cases veterinary records may be requested to assist in understanding some aspect of your claim to ensure it is processed correctly and fairly. Sometimes this can result in a delay in payment of claims.

Yes, HCF members receive a 10% discount off their pet insurance premium.