Are you looking into seniors and pensioners pet insurance? Finding pet insurance for seniors and pensioners is pretty straightforward, but there’s some confusion about what seniors insurance actually is. Well, it’s essentially the same as regular pet insurance, with the same levels of coverage, and similar limitations on your pet’s age.

The difference is that with a registered Australian Seniors card, you can get a 10% discount from several well-respected insurance providers, including direct from Australian Seniors.

The only complicated bit is where to find the best rates, and most reliable coverage, which is what we’re here to help with.

What Pet Insurance is Available for Senior and Pensioner Owners?

Senior and pensioner owners looking for pet insurance to cover loss, illness and accidents are in luck. There are no limitations on what you can insure your pet for based on your age. 

Comprehensive cover (including veterinary bills and dental procedures) is available from nearly all insurers regardless of the age of the owner.

Accident and illness cover will cover dogs on policies starting when your pet is as old as 16 in some cases. However, it does help to insure your pets from a young age to get better coverage later.

How Seniors and Pensioners Pet Insurance Differ from Standard Pet Insurance

The only difference between standard pet insurance and seniors’ pet insurance is that seniors’ pet insurance comes with a discount. With an Australian Seniors Card, both Australian Seniors and PetSecure offer a 10% discount on your insurance premium, regardless of the cover you select.

Any regular annual policy at around $750, covering basic accident and illness will therefore cost $675 per year. This can include accident and illness, but PetSecure includes a standard offer to Australian Seniors Card Holders, which means that will help with rehoming your pet for any reason, regardless of the cover amount you take out.

How Much Does Seniors Pet Insurance Cost?

Almost all typical house pets can be covered by Australian Seniors or PetSecure insurance for seniors, and the rates are comparable to regular premiums. 

A cat insured for $600 per year, with comprehensive cover that started at age 8, would see their premium drop by 10% to $540 with Australian Seniors or PetSecure. As your cat gets older, their premium will rise, but you will always receive a 10% discount on that.

For a Jack Russel Terrier, aged 14, who is being insured for the first time, with either PetSecure or Australian Seniors, the premium is likely to be around $850-1000 depending on their health, your location and other typical considerations. 

Note: No pet insurance providers are offering specific cover for horses owned by Australian seniors, but some will consider amending their cover if you call them directly.

Comparing Seniors Pet Insurance and What to Look For

None of the top comparison sites offer straight comparisons of Australian Seniors pet insurance, or an option to include your age in the insurance calculator. 

Instead, focus on a few trusted insurance providers from the list below, and if you have current insurance, consider asking them to match the premium and cover offered elsewhere to make retaining your no-claims or comprehensive cover easier, without changing providers.

Companies that Provide Pet Insurance for Seniors and Pensioners

There are just two insurance companies that provide insurance specifically for seniors. Both require the policyholder to have an Australian Seniors Card in order to qualify for a 10% discount on their insurance premium, but even without the card, they will offer some standard differences from basic insurance policies.

Australian Seniors

Australian Seniors are the easiest insurers to go with if you want seniors’ pet insurance. Their basic accident and illness cover pays out 60% of vet bills up to $12,000 even if you take the policy out for an older dog.

There are more comprehensive cover options available for seniors with younger dogs, paying out 80% of vet bills each year, up to $12,000 with no excess required.

The other benefit of Australian seniors is that their pet cover can be combined with other insurance options from them, all tailored to Australian seniors looking for simple, trustworthy insurance options.

PetSecure

PetSecure is slightly more complicated than Australian Seniors, in that you need an Australian Seniors card to qualify. However, their insurance is slightly cheaper, and the cover is better, offering up to 85% of vet bills up to $12,000 with no excess.

If you, as the owner, are hospitalised, they will even pay for boarding for five days, and if you need to rehome your pet for any reason, or want the peace of mind that they’ll have a home if anything were to happen to you, PetSecure will even help with the rehoming process.

PetSecure is one of the best pet insurance providers in Australia, and their cover for seniors is second to none, with better rates, and more appropriate coverage than any other provider.

Seniors and Pensioners Pet Insurance FAQs

How old does my pet have to be to start pet insurance?

Dogs and cats can be insured from as young as eight weeks, and the sooner you start insurance, the cheaper it generally is. Your premiums in previous years always impact future rates, so reflecting as a responsible owner by insuring your pets as soon as possible helps to reduce costs in the long term.

Can you get insurance for older pets?

Insurance for older cats and dogs is generally tricky to come by, but if you’re taking out a policy as a senior, you can sometimes find policies that cover accident-and-illness with general coverage for dogs up to 16 years old.

Do you have to pay excess with seniors pet insurance?

Both companies providing tailored pet insurance for Australian seniors offer policies with no excess to pay and pay out up to 85% of vet bills. In practice, that means there is an excess of 15%, but it won’t affect your payouts.

Is a pet covered for hereditary problems with seniors pet insurance?

Depending on the condition. Some hereditary problems can be covered on most pets as standard, and more serious problems will be covered if they don’t show symptoms for a certain amount of time (this will differ based on each condition).

Can I keep using my regular vet?

Insurance does not limit what vet you can use. You can continue using any registered veterinarian in Australia to treat your pets.

How do you make a claim for senior pet insurance?

There are a few ways to make a claim for your senior pet insurance. You can call directly and speak to customer services teams at your provider, submit claims quickly online, or, make sure any incidents are reported to insurers by your vet at the time of treatment.

Does seniors pet insurance cover multiple pets?

While you can get a single policy that covers all of your pets, there is no specific discount from senior pet insurance providers in support of multi-pet policies. It may therefore be cheaper to look at multi-pet insurance as some insurers offer 15% discounts for multi-pet homes, making it cheaper overall than seniors pet insurance.

What doesn’t seniors pet insurance cover?

Seniors' pet insurance doesn’t cover most pre-existing conditions. Like all insurance policies, there will be exceptions, and if you are unsure about what counts as pre-existing, or the time limits on that, contact either Australian Seniors or PetSecure directly.

What age can I get seniors' pet insurance?

Seniors pet insurance is available for anybody aged 50+ from Australian Seniors. The cheaper rate and higher coverage from PetSecure is available from 60+. There is no upper limit on when you can start a seniors pet insurance policy.

Are pets covered while in quarantine?

Seniors' pet insurance does not cover pets while in quarantine, so if you’re visiting family outside of the country, consider boarding during your time away. Any pet brought into Australia would require a vet record from its previous country before starting new insurance.

Will my premium increase each year?

Every year you hold a pet insurance policy, your insurance premium will rise if your circumstances remain the same. As your dog or cat ages, the cost of their treatment is generally higher, and premiums increase to reflect that.

Keeping your pet indoors and de-sexing them can mitigate the higher insurance costs and improve their life expectancy.

Avail for Seniors and Pensioners Pet Insurance Today

Finding seniors’ pet insurance doesn’t have to be a headache. Just take your time on the policy options between Australian Seniors and PetSecure, and get quotes from each.

If they’re a little cheaper than your current provider, ask if they will match that quote. If not, switch policies, remembering to transfer any benefits over to your new provider.

If you need to take out a new policy, or your provider can’t match Australian Seniors of PetSecure, just set up a new seniors pet insurance policy with them, and sleep easy, knowing you’re covered for any eventuality.