Our 5 star Defaqto rated Champ plans allow you to get your cats and dogs pre-existing medical conditions covered. Our an online screening tells you immediately whether we can cover these conditions. As well as pre-existing conditions, these policies can also protect your pet from accidents and new illnesses they develop.
What are pre-existing conditions and how does cover work?
Pre-existing cover intends to provide cover for medical issues that a pet already has. They describe any illness, injury, symptom or condition that happened or first showed signs before your policy begins – regardless of whether your pet went to the vet for it. Our full definition is shown in the FAQs below or in our policy wording.
How do insurers know about pre-existing conditions?
We’re unique in this case because we ask you to tell us what conditions your pet already has. This allows us to tell you upfront whether those conditions can be covered or not.
When this isn’t the case you might find that you’ll be on a plan which has a limit on pre-existing conditions payouts, so whilst the vet fee cover could be £7,000, you may find lower claim limits on pre-existing conditions, sometimes as low as £500.
What conditions can be covered?
While we might not be able to cover every condition, we don’t operate a flat yes or no either like other providers. Our comprehensive cover is based upon your answers to medical questions we ask. By telling us details of your pet’s illness and treatment to date we can tell you whether we can cover them. We have recently offered pre-existing cover for:
| Back pain | Cruciate ligament injury | Eye infection | Heart murmur | Meningitis | Sarcoptic mange |
| Broken bone | Cystitis | FIV (Feline) | Hip replacement | Otitis (ear infection) | Seizure |
| Cataracts | Diarrhoeae and vomitting | Food allergy | Hyperthyroidism | Pancreatitis | Skin allergy |
| Cerebral hypoplasia | Ear haematoma | Gastroeneteritis | Lameness | Patellar luxation | |
| Corneal ulcer | Elbow dysplasia | Haemorrghaigc gastroenteritis | Liver shunt | Retinal atrophy |
So whether you’ve been unable to get insurance due to your pet’s pre-existing conditions, or if you’re just looking to switch for a better deal, see how we can help.
Our pre-existing conditions cover
We have 3 levels of cover which provide vet fee cover ranging from £2,500 up to £8,000.
Champ 2.5
Vet fee cover limit
Up to £2,500per year
- Reinstated each year.
Inner limits
Up to £2,500depending upon treatment
- In some cases there are restrictions on certain types of treatment types which are lower than the overall cover limit. These are called inner limits.
- Cruciate ligament: £1,000
- MRI / CT scans: £1,000
- Alternative treatment: £400
- Dental treatment: £2,500
- Diet food: £100
- Behavioural problems: £100
Excess
£75 or £200per injury/illness per year (depending on pet age)
- An additional excess may be required for accepted conditions. Unlike other insurers, we don't impose a coinsurance payment when claiming.
| Section | Cover | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| A | Veterinary Fees* up to | £2,500 |
| Inner Limits up to (Included within total Veterinary Fees amount above) | ||
| Cruciate Ligament | £1,000 | |
| MRI / CT Scan | £1,000 | |
| Alternative treatment | £400 | |
| Dental (accident/injury) | £2,500 | |
| Diet Food | £100 | |
| Covered in EU PETS Scheme Area | Yes | |
| Behavioural treatment | £100 | |
| Excess per injury or illness, per year | Dogs under 8: £75 Dogs over 8: £200 Cats under 10: £75 Cats over 10: £200 | |
| B | Death | |
| Accident up to | £1,000 | |
| Illness up to | £1,000 | |
| Euthanasia | £100 | |
| C | Third Party Liability (Dogs Only) | £1,500,000 |
| Excess | £250 | |
| D | Loss & recovery | £1,000 |
| E | Emergency boarding and pet minding fees | £1,000 |
| F | Holiday cancellation | £1,000 |
| G | Accidental damage | £250 |
| Pre-Existing Conditions | This policy may be able to cover Pre-Existing conditions following a full medical screening of your pet. |
Download the Insurance Information Product Document (IPID)
* The Vet fee amount includes;
- Up to £45 towards consultation fees for each separate visit to the Vet as a result of the condition
- Up to £110 towards additional out of hours fees for each separate out of hours visit needed as a result of the condition
- Up to £70 towards histology fees including any handling and interpretation fees
- Up to £70 towards cytology fees including any handling and interpretation fees
- Up to £35 per session towards hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, accupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathy fees or laser treatment fees
Champ 4.0
Vet fee cover limit
£4,000per year
- Reinstated each year.
Inner limits
Up to £4,000depending upon treatment
- In some cases there are restrictions on certain types of treatment types which are lower than the overall cover limit. These are called inner limits.
- Cruciate ligament: £1,500
- MRI / CT scans: £1,500
- Alternative treatment: £750
- Dental treatment: £4,000
- Diet food: £100
- Behavioural problems: £250
Excess
£75 or £200per illness/injury per year (depending on pet age)
- An additional excess may be required for accepted conditions. Unlike other insurers, we don't impose a coinsurance payment when claiming.
| Section | Cover | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| A | Veterinary Fees* up to | £4,000 |
| Inner Limits up to (Included within total Veterinary Fees amount above) | ||
| Cruciate Ligament | £1,500 | |
| MRI / CT Scan | £1,500 | |
| Alternative treatment | £750 | |
| Dental (accident/injury) | £4,000 | |
| Diet Food | £100 | |
| Covered in EU PETS Scheme Area | Yes | |
| Behavioural treatment | £250 | |
| Excess per injury or illness, per year | Dogs under 8: £75 Dogs over 8: £200 Cats under 10: £75 Cats over 10: £200 | |
| B | Death | |
| Accident up to | £1,500 | |
| Illness up to | £1,500 | |
| Euthanasia | £100 | |
| C | Third Party Liability (Dogs Only) | £1,500,000 |
| Excess | £250 | |
| D | Loss & recovery | £1,500 |
| E | Emergency boarding and pet minding fees | £1,000 |
| F | Holiday cancellation | £1,500 |
| G | Accidental damage | £500 |
| Pre-Existing Conditions | This policy may be able to cover Pre-Existing conditions following a full medical screening of your pet. |
Download the Insurance Information Product Document (IPID)
* The Vet fee amount includes;
- Up to £45 towards consultation fees for each separate visit to the Vet as a result of the condition
- Up to £110 towards additional out of hours fees for each separate out of hours visit needed as a result of the condition
- Up to £70 towards histology fees including any handling and interpretation fees
- Up to £70 towards cytology fees including any handling and interpretation fees
- Up to £35 per session towards hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, accupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathy fees or laser treatment fees
Champ 8.0
Vet fee cover limit
Up to £8,000per year
- Reinstated each year.
Inner limits
Up to £8,000depending upon treatment
- In some cases there are restrictions on certain types of treatment types which are lower than the overall cover limit. These are called inner limits.
- Cruciate ligament: £2,000
- MRI / CT scans: £2,000
- Alternative treatment: £1,000
- Dental treatment: £8,000
- Diet food: £100
- Behavioural problems: £500
Excess
£75 or £200per injury/illness per year (depending on pet age)
- An additional excess may be required for accepted conditions. Unlike other insurers, we don't impose a coinsurance payment when claiming.
| Section | Cover | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| A | Veterinary Fees* up to | £8,000 |
| Inner Limits up to (Included within total Veterinary Fees amount above) | ||
| Cruciate Ligament | £2,000 | |
| MRI / CT Scan | £2,000 | |
| Alternative treatment | £1,000 | |
| Dental (accident/injury) | £8,000 | |
| Diet Food | £100 | |
| Covered in EU PETS Scheme Area | Yes | |
| Behavioural treatment | £500 | |
| Excess per injury or illness, per year | Dogs under 8: £75 Dogs over 8: £200 Cats under 10: £75 Cats over 10: £200 | |
| B | Death | |
| Accident up to | £1,500 | |
| Illness up to | £1,500 | |
| Euthanasia | £150 | |
| C | Third Party Liability (Dogs Only) | £2,000,000 |
| Excess | £250 | |
| D | Loss & recovery | £1,500 |
| E | Emergency boarding and pet minding fees | £1,000 |
| F | Holiday cancellation | £2,500 |
| G | Accidental damage | £750 |
| Pre-Existing Conditions | This policy may be able to cover Pre-Existing conditions following a full medical screening of your pet. |
Download the Insurance Information Product Document (IPID)
* The Vet fee amount includes;
- Up to £45 towards consultation fees for each separate visit to the Vet as a result of the condition
- Up to £110 towards additional out of hours fees for each separate out of hours visit needed as a result of the condition
- Up to £70 towards histology fees including any handling and interpretation fees
- Up to £70 towards cytology fees including any handling and interpretation fees
- Up to £35 per session towards hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, accupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathy fees or laser treatment fees
Multi-pet discount
If you’re insuring 2 or more pets then you’ll receive a 10% discount off your total insurance premium. The offer applies to our Bronze, Silver, Gold, Premier and Premier Plus cover and will be deducted when calculating your quote.
97% claims paid
If the unfortunate situation arrives where you need to make a claim on your policy, we can assist by paying your claim fast and efficiently and often payments can be made directly to your vet – so long as you and they agree. In 2019 we paid 97% of all claims made.
Switch without the wait
It hasn’t always been easy to switch your pet cover, but we’re changing that. Most providers will impose a 14-day wait time for illnesses if you switch, but so long as you are an existing pet insurance holder when you switch to us, we won’t.
No co-insurance
Co-insurance is a payment in addition to the excess that’s shared between you and an insurer which splits the cost of claims, usually it’s an 80/20 split.
We want you to know exactly what your costs will be so we don’t impose a co-insurance payment on any of our plans.
24/7 Careline access
The Scratch & Patch Careline which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, is included for all cover levels. Our friendly UK based team are available whether you’re looking for pet care advice or looking for assistance with a quote or a claim.