Bupa award-winning pet insurance

By Katherine O'Chee ·
Fact Checked
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BUPA's award-winning pet insurance

Want to avoid insane vet bills if your pet ever has a health hiccup? Then BUPA could be worth your attention. 

BUPA’s Ultimate Pet Insurance policy has just won two 2020 Mozo Experts Choice Awards, in the Exceptional Quality Pet Insurance and Exceptional Value Accident Cover categories. 

“Exceptional Quality means that it’s cover which packs a punch with features you’ll be able to take full advantage of,” Mozo’s expert judge, Peter Marshall said. 

“For instance, policies that only give you 60% of your vet bills back are obviously worth less than a policy like BUPA’s Ultimate that’s giving you 80% of those bills back.” 

About BUPA 

Founded in 1947, BUPA is a health and care company that has always had a mission of helping people live longer, healthier and happier lives. According to BUPA, more than 27 million people around the world use its services today. Besides pet insurance, BUPA also offers a range of other insurance products, including health, car, home and valuables.  

BUPA Pet Insurance is issued by The Hollard Insurance Company Pty Ltd and administered by PetSure. 

BUPA’s award-winning pet insurance policy

With a high annual benefit of $20,000, a high benefit percentage of 80% and the ability to vary your excess, BUPA’s Ultimate policy packs in so many great features that it was recognised as an Exceptional Quality Pet Insurance winner at this year’s Mozo Experts Choice Awards

Under the Ultimate policy, you can claim up to 80% of eligible vet bills, or up to $20,000 a year of cover for illnesses including skin conditions, diabetes, cancer and accidental injuries. And if you want extra support in keeping your furry companion as healthy as possible, you also have the option of adding dental illness cover and routine care cover for procedures like worming and vaccinations. 

On top of that, BUPA’s Ultimate policy covers: 

  • Cruciate ligament conditions, up to $2,600 annually 
  • Consultations and vet visits, up to $300 annually 
  • Tick paralysis, with a $1,500 sublimit 
  • Emergency boarding, with a $1,500 sublimit 
  • X-rays, blood tests and other diagnostic tests 
  • Ear or eye conditions 
  • Gastrointestinal problems
  • Hereditary or congenital conditions 

But before taking out a policy of any kind, it’s handy to get into the habit of reading through the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and making sure you’ve double checked the fine print, so you know exactly what is and isn’t covered. The PDS can be found on BUPA’s website, but to kick you off, here are some details you should keep a lookout for: 

  • BUPA’s Ultimate policy doesn’t cover any pre-existing conditions. It also has a waiting period of 30 days for illnesses and tick paralysis, and a considerably longer waiting period of 6 months for cruciate ligament conditions and dental illness. In other words, if your pet starts showing signs of sickness during the 30 days or 6 months from when your policy started, it will be considered pre-existing and all costs associated with the sickness won’t be covered. 
  • Bilateral conditions are treated as a single condition. That means, if a condition affected your pet’s left eye, ear, knee or cruciate ligament before you took out a policy or during the waiting period, any vet expenses for their right eye, ear, knee or cruciate ligament won’t be covered either. 
  • The premium you’ll have to pay increases every year - and there are reasons for this. As pets age, they’re more likely to encounter health issues. Meanwhile, vet treatments have also gotten more advanced and expensive over time. 
  • The policy comes with a 21-day cooling period, so if you do happen to change your mind and decide it’s not the right insurance for you, you can contact BUPA to cancel and get a full refund back. 

Want your pet to be protected for life? BUPA’s Ultimate policy offers lifelong cover as long as you renew your policy every year without stopping. But keep in mind that you can only start the policy if your pet is between 8 weeks and 9 years old. 

What are the Mozo Experts Choice Awards? 

Searching for the best pet insurance policies around? The Mozo Experts Choice Awards, which are held annually, is our platform for highlighting some of those exceptional quality and value policies, so that Aussies know where to look for excellent deals. 

Our expert judges have spent hours upon hours on research, using objective verifiable facts, calculations and analysis to help Aussies discover top-notch products. 

Curious about which other pet insurance providers have taken out awards this year? Head over to the Mozo Experts Choice Awards 2019 for a full list of winners.