Frequently Asked Questions

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How Does Pet Insurance Work? [ click here ]: PetCare Pet Insurance Programs allows you to visit any licensed veterinarian including veterinary specialists, emergency veterinarians, veterinary chiropractics and acupuncturists. PetCare Pet Insurance also offers coverage while you are traveling on vacation within Canada or the United States of America. Insurance for your dog or cat compensates you for your loss. You pay the treatment costs up front and we reimburse you after applying your deductible and co-payment, up to the maximum benefit amount of your policy.
What is pet insurance for? [ click here ]: Pet Insurance does not operate like our human health insurance benefits. Pet Insurance protects you against the unexpected. Unexpected events are events which are sudden, unlikely to happen, and come without warning. These unexpected events are typically expensive. An example of such an event is, your dog runs out the door into the street and is struck by a motor vehicle. You could not expect this to happen as your dog typically does not run out of the house not on a leash. The motor vehicle accident occurred because typically the driver does not expect to see a dog on the street. The costs to repair the injuries sustained by a motor vehicle accident such as bone fractures, lacerations, abrasions to the skin can be upwards of $3000.00. It is at a time like this where pet insurance could make the decision for you in regards to the lifesaving treatment your dog would need. Please note, pre-existing conditions are not available for coverage on pet insurance policies. These medical conditions are not unexpected. They do not come without warning. The signs and symptoms of medical conditions have already been evident in the pet and the diagnosis is foreseeable.
My Pet is healthy - why should I buy pet insurance? [ click here ]: While your pet is healthy today, you never know what tomorrow will bring. Accidents such as foreign body ingestions, poison ingestions and motor vehicle accidents occur everyday. We receive many phone calls from pet owners wishing to buy insurance for their now sick or injured dog or cat. Unfortunately pet insurance cannot provide coverage for any accident or medical condition that has developed prior to enrollment. That is why it is important to enroll your pet while it is healthy! Enrolment of a healthy pet allows you to get coverage on any future accidents or medical illnesses. This provides you with the peace of mind that when the unexpected happens to your pet, PetCare will be there!

Coverage

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I love my dog but my friend told me that it may get hip dysplasia what should I do? [ click here ]: It is true that some breeds are more prone to hip dysplasia or other hereditary defects, PetCare offers the QuickCare Gold (70% and 90%) ^{(for dogs)/(for cats)} and QuickCare Complete ^{(for dogs)/(for cats)} insurance programs that would cover your dog in the event that hip dysplasia was diagnosed and needed treatment. You may enroll your pet from the age of 8 weeks and if you are concerned you should enroll sooner rather than later – if a problem is diagnosed or symptomatic prior to enrollment or during the 14 day waiting period for illness coverage it will be deemed a pre-existing condition and will not be covered.
What is a pre-existing condition? [ click here ]: Pre-existing Conditions are medical conditions that are noted, treated and/or symptomatic prior to the coverage effective date of the insurance policy or within the applicable waiting period. Pre-existing Conditions are not available for coverage on pet insurance policies because these medical conditions are not unexpected nor do they come without warning. The signs and symptoms of these medical conditions have already been evident in the pet and the diagnosis is foreseeable
How does PetCare handle Pre-existing Conditions? [ click here ]: Any medical condition or accident that occurred prior to the effective date of your policy is not available for coverage. This includes illnesses that are existing, symptomatic and/or treated but not necessarily diagnosed prior to the coverage effective date of your policy or during the applicable waiting period. At PetCare we reserve the right to place exclusions on the policy for these medical conditions. These exclusion may be temporary or permanent. Temporary exclusions are eligible for review, at the policyholder’s request, after a 12 month period of time from the effective date of your policy. Permanent exclusions will be applied to the policy for the lifetime of your pet. Permanent exclusions are for chronic recurring conditions which you are aware your pet has such as arthritis, allergies, and some endocrine diseases. At PetCare we want to protect your pet! We will review any relevant medical information provided from your veterinarian in regards to medical conditions excluded on your policy.
Are there any other coverage restrictions I should be aware of? [ click here ]: Due to the complications associated with the following medical conditions, the following restrictions apply: For cats, if Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and/or Feline Leukemia Virus (FELV) has been noted, treated or diagnosed, prior to the coverage effective date, or within the thirty-day waiting period for illness coverage, then no Illness coverage is available. For dogs, if Adult onset Demodex (after age five) has been noted, treated or diagnosed, prior to the coverage effective date, or within the thirty day waiting period for illness coverage, then no Illness coverage is available. Illness Coverage is not available for Chinese Shar-pei’s, or Chinese Shar-pei Crossbreeds.
Do you cover Hip Dysplasia, Cruciate Ligament Disease, and Patella Luxation? [ click here ]: Hip Dysplasia, Cruciate Ligament Disease and Patella Luxation are medical conditions available for coverage if not pre-existing. For both cats and dogs, Hip Dysplasia, Cruciate Ligaments and Patella Luxation, despite the cause, are considered to be bilateral conditions (affecting both sides of the body) and are classed under the Musculoskeletal Illness Category of the Policy. Not all policies have the Musculoskeletal Illness Category.
Do your Programs cover the diagnosis as well as the treatment of accidents and illnesses? [ click here ]: Yes our programs cover the diagnosis, testing and treatment of the covered accidents and illnesses, including veterinary visits, laboratory tests, X-rays, MRIs, CAT scans, hospitalization, prescription food and prescription medications.
I spent thousands of dollars on my last pet’s cancer treatment, I want to make sure that my new puppy is covered to the max – what product should I buy? [ click here ]: We have a variety of products that will provide your new puppy with coverage specifically for cancer. QuickCare Gold ^{(for dogs)/(for cats)} provides coverage for all accidents and all illnesses with $3,000 - $6,000 specifically earmarked for cancer coverage, QuickCare Complete ^{(for dogs)/(for cats)} also provides coverage for all accidents and all illnesses with $5,000 specifically earmarked for cancer coverage.
What happens if I find I don't have enough coverage? [ click here ]: You can upgrade your policy at any time by calling one of our customer care representatives at 1-877-897-7387
Do I need EmergencyCare Insurance for my Pet? [ click here ]: Yes. We would advise it - EmergencyCare Insurance ^{(for dogs)/(for cats)} is a unique program that provides $3,000 coverage for life-saving treatment for your pet if it gets hurt or ill when it is lost. $19.95 per year is all it costs to give emergency personnel the ability to save your lost pet’s life.
I live in Rental Accommodation and my landlord does not like pets – is there a program for me? [ click here ]: Yes – TenantCare ^{(for dogs)/(for cats)} will provide you with selected accident and illness coverage for your pet PLUS up to $700 third party liability coverage to set your landlord’s mind at ease!
After signing up my pet, can I still see my regular veterinarian? [ click here ]: Yes. You can use the licensed veterinarian of your choice.
What is the waiting period? [ click here ]: The waiting period is the time between your coverage effective date and when the full illness coverage is available. Not every insurance product has a waiting period; some do offer next day coverage for illnesses. Accident coverage will be effective at 12:01 a.m. on the day following enrolment on all products. For our QuickCare Gold ^{(for dogs)/(for cats)}, QuickCare Complete ^{(for dogs)/(for cats)} and QuickCare Plus for Cats there is a 14 day waiting period. Illness coverage will begin on the 31st day of the policy.
I have purchased a pet insurance policy - what do I do now? [ click here ]: Congratulations and Welcome to the PetCare Pet Insurance Family of Pet Parents! Once you have enrolled in a policy, a policy package will be mailed to you. This package includes your Document of Insurance and policy Terms and Conditions. We strongly recommend you read through each document carefully. As a condition of your insurance, complete medical records for your pet from the veterinary clinic(s) that treat your pet must be forwarded to us. If there are no medical records for your pet and/or your pet has not attended a veterinary clinic within the past twelve months, please take your pet to a licensed veterinarian for a complete physical exam within thirty days from the coverage effective date and forward that information to us.
Help! My pet just got hit by a car! Do I have coverage? [ click here ]: Accident coverage will be effective at 12:01 a.m. on the day following enrolment on all products. In order to receive benefits for accidental injury(ies), which occur during the first 24 hours of coverage, proof of time of the accidental injury(ies) will be required.

Cost

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I want to buy pet insurance but I’m worried I might not be able to afford it. [ click here ]: Don't be concerned, PetCare offers you choice and flexibility. Please call us at 1-877-897-7387 and ask to speak to one of our sales representatives who will make sure that you make the decision that's right for you.
What are my payment options? [ click here ]: For monthly premiums, we accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover Card or Automatic Deductions from a Checking Account. For annual premiums, we also accept Visa, MasterCard, and Discover Card, as well as a check or money order. For all Discover Card payment, please contact our call center. At this time we do not process Discover Card over the web. In the event that you choose to pay on a monthly basis a $2.00 pay plan fee will be added to your monthly billing.
How is the premium calculated? [ click here ]: PetCare Pet Insurance Program premiums take into consideration the risk factors associated with your pet experiencing an accident or illness, the required treatment, and the cost of that treatment. The main factors are whether your pet is a cat or dog, and the breed of your pet, as well as the age of your pet. Your level of coverage will also affect your premium, the higher the level of coverage the higher the premium. PetCare Pet Insurance Program premiums, unlike our competitors, will never increase with the age of your pet.
What if I want to enroll more than one pet? [ click here ]: Each pet receives its own policy. You can use our online enrollment system to enroll all your pets in one convenient process without having to fill out multiple application forms. If you enroll three or more pets you are eligible for a 10% discount per policy. Maximum discount 10% per pet per policy. If you are insuring two or more pets, and one of the pets enrolled is a cat, you will receive a 5% discount on each premium. If your pet is registered as a 'Medical Service' pet, you will receive a 10% discount on each premium.
What kind of discounts do you offer? [ click here ]: There are a variety of discounts available on the PetCare Pet Insurance Programs including, multi-pet discounts, microchipping discounts, group benefit discounts and more. When you enroll your pet please make sure that you fill in all the required fields to ensure that you get the appropriate discount.

Claims

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My pet was ill and now I need to make a claim. What do I do? [ click here ]

For a claim to be made payable by us, an authentic PetCare claim form must be submitted to us which has been completed and signed by you and the attending veterinarian. The completed claim form must include the original itemized invoice and receipts indicating the charges have been paid in full. Medical records confirming the medical condition did not exist prior to the inception of the policy will be required to process any claim. Once you have this information collected please forward that to us at: PetCare Pet Insurance Programs P.O. Box 2150 Buffalo, NY 14240-2150 Or fax toll free to: 1-866-369-7387

How do I make a claim? [ click here ]

Mail or fax in a completed one page claim form completed by yourself & your attending veterinarian along with the detailed receipts. Fill out a claim form.

How much money will I actually get back when I make a claim? [ click here ]

The amount of money that you will get back is determined by three things:

a) the amount of coverage that you have purchased for that specific accident or illness,
b) the deductible on the program that you have chosen and
c) the percentage coverage offered by your program choice.

Please go to Selecting the Right Coverage for examples of amount paid by program.

I received my claims cheque. What is the deductible? [ click here ]

The deductible is the stated dollar amount of each payable claim for which the insured is responsible. This will be deducted from the total insured amount paid by you to the veterinarian for a claimable medical condition. Refer to your Policy Documents for your deductible amount. Deductibles are applied per accidental incident and per medical condition.

What is the co-payment? [ click here ]

Co-payment is the stated percentage of each covered claim for which you are responsible. Co-payment options are dependent on your program of choice. For example our QuickCare Gold 70% program ^{(for dogs)/(for cats)}, provides you with 70% coverage, you are responsible for the 30% co-payment.

What is the Maximum Benefit Amount? [ click here ]

The Maximum Benefit Amount it the maximum dollar amount we will pay out for a medical condition, accident, or illness category. The Maximum Benefit Amount for an accident is per incident. The Maximum Benefit Amount for an illness category is for the life of the pet.