Frequently Asked Questions

Healthy Pets provide cover for cats and dogs. Cover can be taken out for your cat or dog so long as they are 5 weeks old or over. New customers can insure dogs up to 11 years old, and cats up to 13 years old.

Be sure to check our excluded breed list.

Select and Select Plus policies can pay up to the policy limit (£2,000, £4,000 or £7,000) for each policy year, depending on the cover selected. There is no limit for a single condition over the policy lifetime. However, a vet fee limit applies per year for each condition so, until the policy renews, cover for a condition will cease once the annual vet fee limit for it has been reached.

Maximum Benefit policies can pay up to the policy limit (£1,000, £4,250 or £7,500) for each condition, dependent on the cover selected. There is no limit on the number of conditions you can claim for over the policy lifetime. There is also no time limit on claiming for a condition, however, cover for a condition will cease once the Maximum Benefit for it has been reached.

Lifetime Pet Insurance policies can pay up to the annual limit (£2,000 or £4,250) in each period of insurance. The Lifetime Extra policy is subject to a maximum limit of £1,000 for each condition in each policy year. The Lifetime Premier policy is subject to a maximum of £3,250 for each condition in each policy year. There is no limit to the number of conditions you can claim for over the policy lifetime.

Accident Only policy can pay up to the policy limit (£1,000) per accident over a 12 month period, subject to you renewing your policy with us and premiums being paid up to date. Cover for an accident will cease once the financial limit has been reached or after 12 months from the date of the first treatment, whichever comes first. There is no limit on the number of accidents you can claim for over the policy lifetime.

Select and Select Plus policies will cover your pet for its lifetime up to the maximum vet fee limit for each separate condition (£2,000, £4,000 or £7,000), subject to the continuous renewal of your policy and premiums being paid.

Maximum Benefit policies will cover your pet for its lifetime up to the maximum amount of benefit for each separate condition (£1,000, £4,250 or £7,500), subject to you renewing your policy with us and premiums being paid up to date.

Lifetime policies will cover your pet for its lifetime up to the maximum annual limit (Extra £2,000 or Premier £4,250) and the condition limit (Extra £1,000 or Premier £3,250) per condition, per policy year. Select policies work the same way, but are subject to different treatment limits and vet fee amounts. 

Subject to the exclusions in the policy wording, our Select and Select Plus policies will cover you for eligible ongoing conditions that begin after the start of your policy, up to the maximum benefit of your chosen level (£2,000, £4,000 or £7,000) and subject to you renewing your policy with us and premiums being paid up to date.

Maximum Benefit policies will cover you for eligible ongoing conditions that begin after the start of your policy, up to the maximum benefit of your chosen level (£1,000, £4,250 or £7,500) and subject to you renewing your policy with us and premiums being paid up to date.

Lifetime policies will cover you for eligible ongoing conditions that begin after the start of your policy up to the annual condition limit of £1,000 on the Lifetime Extra cover or £3,250 on the Lifetime Premier cover with an annual limit of £2,000 on Lifetime Extra or £4,250 on Lifetime Premier. The limits reinstate when the policy is renewed subject to the premiums being paid up to date.

Accident Only Cover provides £1,000 of cover per accident for treatment costs for up to 12 months from the date of the first treatment after your pet is injured in an accident, subject to you renewing your policy with us and premiums being paid up to date. Please see our Policy Benefits for more details.

Unfortunately, many pets suffer from health conditions. Some are hereditary problems, whilst others are more associated with specific breeds. Examples include cruciate disease, arthritis, and respiratory conditions. The insurer can’t pre-authorise claims as each pet’s veterinary history is different and other conditions can arise whilst treating initial medical issues. 

Third Party Liability cover comes as standard for dogs on all our levels of cover.  Cover is up to £1 million with an excess of £250.

The insurer cannot cover any conditions which your pet has had signs and symptoms of or received treatment, medication or advice for at any time prior to the policy coming into force. 

Healthy Pets plan for the future. The insurer will cover your pet for veterinary fees for its lifetime providing you renew your policy each year! If you've got a dog aged 11 or under, or a cat aged 13 or under, the insurer can start a policy for you. Once your pet is insured through us, they will continue to be insured, subject to you renewing your policy with us and premiums being paid up to date.

There are times when alternative remedies, such as physiotherapy or hydrotherapy, may be viable options. Healthy Pets covers some complementary treatments within the veterinary treatment benefit when recommended by your vet.  Complementary medicine treatment is usually subject to an inner limit as stated on your policy documents.

Healthy Pets is run by animal lovers. You can telephone, e-mail or request a claim form to be sent out to you. 

The insurer can either pay the policyholder or your vet direct, providing your vet agrees to this. Claims are usually assessed within ten days of receipt of a completed claim form. The policyholder would need to pay the excess (and co-insurance fee if applicable) to the vets, but the settlement fee can be paid directly to the vets by the insurer. 

Yes, please check your policy schedule for the fixed excess and co-insurance (where applicable) that applies to your pet. You can find out more about co-insurance in the answer to the next question.  

The fixed excess is the amount you must pay towards treatment for each condition in a policy year when you make a claim. Your insurer will cover the remaining cost of the claim or any other eligible claims for the same condition during that policy period, up to your cover limit. If your pet is treated for the same illness or injury in separate policy periods, the excess will be applied to the first claim in each policy period. 

Once your pet reaches a certain age, co-insurance payments will come into effect on your Pet Insurance policy. Check your policy wording each year for details.

Paid alongside your compulsory fixed excess, the mandatory co-insurance payment is an amount you will put towards the cost of your insurance claim. Your co-payment amount may change at renewal, so please make sure to check your schedule for the latest figure when the policy renews, and also if you need to make a claim.

Some policies allow you to include co-insurance from birth if you wish, and others let you choose a different excess. Once co-insurance is added to your cover, it will remain for the duration of the policy.

So, how does it work?

1. You put in a claim for £499 to treat your 6-year-old dog for a new condition
2. If you have a Maximum Benefit policy you’ll pay a fixed excess of £125, leaving a vet bill of £374
3. You then pay a co-insurance of 20% from the vet bill after the fixed excess has been deducted of £74.80
4. This means your insurer pays the outstanding balance of £299.20
5. In total, you pay £199.80 (fixed excess plus 20% co-insurance payment)

The idea of adding compulsory co-insurance payments to your Pet Insurance policy is to try and help keep premiums lower. 

Microchipping is a great way of ensuring you and your pet are reunited should you become separated.

Dogs over eight weeks old must be microchipped as per UK law (applicable from April 2016).

From 10th June 2024, cats in England need to be microchipped by the time they’re 20 weeks old.

Once your pet is microchipped, owner details should be kept up to date. Further details of how and when to microchip your pet are available at your vets.

The insurer will not offer insurance on any of the following breeds, or any pet crossed with one of these:

Dogs

Unfortunately, the insurer is unable to offer insurance for any pets that have been used in connection with commercial guard, security work or racing. Similarly, if your pet has shown aggressive tendencies, or if your pet has any confirmed or pending third party prosecutions, the insurer would be unable to cover them.