Pet insurance
We recommends pet insurance as a way to protect against unexpected veterinary fees following illness or accident.
The best time to insure your pet is when they are young and healthy – the second-best time is now!
For guidance on what to look for in an insurance policy – and what to avoid – please read more here.
More about pet insurance
Making a claim for treatment?
Step one: please complete our insurance notification form
Every time you want to make an insurance claim, please start by completing our brief notification form.
Completing this form is the single most important step you can take to avoid delays with your claim. If the form is not completed, your claim may take longer to process.
If you’re unable to complete the form yourself, please let us know — we’re happy to help.
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The insurance notification form helps us to help you. It allows us to:
Give you guidance on how to start your claim, based on your insurance provider
Record that you intend to make a claim, so your request doesn’t get missed
Collect the key information we need to process your claim efficiently
Using the form means your claim can be handled faster and more reliably, with fewer back-and-forth queries.
Important information about insurance claims
We request that owners settle their account on the day of treatment, and then claim reimbursement from their insurance provider.
We will always do our best to process insurance claims promptly to minimise inconvenience.
Frequently asked questions about pet insurance
A quick disclaimer
Every insurance provider works differently, and every policy has its own terms, limits, and exclusions. There is no guidance that applies to all policies in all situations.
For advice specific to your pet and your policy, we strongly recommend contacting your insurance provider directly.
Please note that we’re unable to advise on:
Which insurance provider or policy you should choose
Whether or not you should make a claim
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Only your insurance provider can confirm with certainty whether a treatment is covered under your policy, they’re always the best people to ask.
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The short answer: it depends on the insurer.
Some providers allow us to initiate the claim on your behalf — in these cases, completing our insurance notification form is all you need to do.
Other insurers may ask you to start the claim yourself, for example via an online portal, paper form, or email. Completing our notification form as well means that when your insurance company contacts us, we’ll have all the information we need to get everything moving swiftly.
The notification form will guide you based on your provider.
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Sometimes, yes. But only to a certain extent.
Claims are often rejected due to:
Policy exclusions or fine print
Differences in how insurers define specific terms
If your insurer needs clarification about the clinical aspects of a claim, our vets are happy to help where possible.
For non-clinical disputes, you’ll need to follow your insurer’s complaints process. If their response doesn’t resolve the issue, you can escalate the matter to the Financial Ombudsman.
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Unfortunately, no.
When we submit information to an insurance provider, we must confirm that:
The prices charged are our normal fees
The treatment provided was appropriate
We can’t make these guarantees for another clinic, so claims for treatment elsewhere must be handled directly with that practice.
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PetPeople can only submit claim information for treatment and medication we supplied ourselves.
Most insurers have a separate process for claiming medication purchased outside a vet clinic. Your insurance provider can advise on the correct form to use.
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In most cases, we ask that accounts are settled in full on the day of treatment, with reimbursement claimed from your insurer afterwards.
In exceptional circumstances, direct claims may be possible. If you’d like to explore this option:
Please let us know before treatment takes place by completing our Direct Claim request form
Advance approval is required from one of our Veterinary Directors
Additional information and paperwork will be needed from the policyholder
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Some (but not all) insurers offer a pre-authorisation service. This involves submitting details of planned treatment and an estimate so they can confirm what may be covered.
As many providers don’t offer this, we recommend contacting your insurer directly if you’re unsure.
