Hey 👋 we’re Fetch, a team of vets, techies, and insurance pros building amazing insurance 💚 and a go-to pet health app 📲. With experience caring for 1,000,000+ pets, all our team have backgrounds in pet health as vets or vet nurses, or with leading insurers around the world. We launched in 2023 and have already become the highest-rated pet insurance on ProductReview with a 4.9 ⭐️ rating.

We’re backed by a strong team of Aussie and international investors, including Airtree, vets, insurance CEOs, pet retailers, brand and marketing experts, start-up founders, and tech leaders. We have our own Australian Financial Services License (540762), and we’re underwritten by Pacific International Insurance (ABN 83 169 311 193).

When you make a claim, you’ll need to pay an amount towards the claim, called your contribution. This includes your excess, the remaining cover percentage, and any items which your pet’s plan doesn't cover.

1. Excess: is the fixed amount you pay as part of your contribution towards a claim. You only pay once per condition. For example, a cruciate rupture with subsequent arthritis in the knee would be one condition with one excess.

2. Cover Percentage: is the amount Fetch covers after the excess is applied. For example, if you claim $1,000 with a $100 excess and 90% cover, you pay $190 ($100 excess + 10% of $900), and Fetch covers $810.

3. How it works: If your vet allows direct payments, and during opening hours, we can cover the invoice directly with them after you pay your contribution in-app. This includes the excess, cover percentage, non-covered items, and amounts over your limit. If you’ve paid the vet already, we’ll reimburse you. 💵

For more details and examples, check our PDS.

Unfortunately, we can’t cover pre-existing conditions 🙁. These could be any injury, illness, behavioural problem, or other issue that started before your pet’s cover is active (including in any waiting periods ⏱️). This could also include any signs or symptoms you noticed, even if the condition has yet to be seen or diagnosed by a vet.

Pre-existing conditions could include hereditary or congenital conditions, as well as bilateral conditions or linked conditions which are related to other conditions, for example, arthritis following joint damage.

Why doesn’t Fetch cover pre-existing conditions?

Like most pet insurers, we can’t cover pre-existing conditions because our cover and pricing are set at a rate that assumes your pet has the usual chance of having any issues for their breed, not if they already have them. However, we’d like to be able to design a product that could cover pre-existing conditions in the future.

When will I find out about my pet’s pre-existing conditions?

The great thing about Fetch, is our Fast Claims ⚡️ process, where we check for any pre-existing conditions with your vets so you know this upfront, rather than at claim time. Once Fast Claims have been set up and if we’ve also got your vet's payment details, we can check your claims quickly and pay the entire invoice directly to your vet. You only have to pay us your excess and contribution (including any excluded items).

Where can I see my pet’s pre-existing conditions?

You’ll be able to see these and any linked conditions in the plan section of your app.

How does Fetch determine pre-existing conditions?

We base this primarily on your vet notes and we look at pre-existing conditions on a true ‘cause and effect’ basis, rather than just excluding things because they are the same sign or symptom, or happened a few times.

What are some examples of pre-existing conditions for pets?

• Seasonal allergies 🤧: If a pet requires treatment every spring for a seasonal skin condition, it is considered pre-existing.

• Cushing's disease: Once diagnosed, the condition becomes ongoing and is likely to require lifelong treatment.

• Limping following a jump from a car: if the limping is found to be due to a ruptured cruciate which happened when your pet jumped from the car, the ruptured cruciate and any other related issues like arthritis in the joint would be pre-existing. If it was a one off sprain which healed, it wouldn’t be pre-existing.

• Elbow Arthritis: Even if diagnosed at an early stage when no treatment is required, the presence of arthritis in a particular location will progress so the condition is pre-existing.

• Hip dysplasia: Diagnosed before taking out a plan or during waiting periods, it won't be covered, including related conditions like arthritis in the hips.

What are some conditions that aren't considered pre-existing?

• Vomiting from eating something on a walk: If your dog ate something on a walk and became sick before your pet's plan started, it’s not considered pre-existing if it happens again after the plan starts.

• Diarrhoea from overeating: As long as it didn’t lead to permanent damage, it’s not considered pre-existing.

If there’s anything else you’d like to know, or if we can be clearer on anything, please let us know!

A waiting period ⏱️ is the period of time you'll need to wait for your pet's cover to begin after their plan starts.

Fetch Pet insurance waiting periods

At Fetch, we have specific waiting periods for different types of cover:

• Injuries (e.g., a broken leg from a fall or a cut paw): 48 hours

• Illnesses (e.g., a tumor or kidney disease): 30 days

• Specific Conditions (Cruciate Ligaments, Patellar Luxation, Hip Dysplasia, Elbow Dysplasia, BOAS, Cherry Eye): 90 days

Skip waiting periods with Fetch ⏭️

Fetch allows you to skip the waiting periods through a simple in-app process. 📲 After signing up, follow the instructions so we can check your pet looks healthy. If everything checks out, we can skip the waiting periods for your pet. ✅ We typically complete this review within 1 working day.

In the cover section of your app, you can see the countdown of waiting periods and when they’re skipped.

Fast Claims and pre-existing condition checks 👩‍⚕️

Waiting periods are separate from checks for pre-existing conditions. These conditions might still be excluded as a pet could appear healthy but have underlying or ongoing issues.

Fetch offers an upfront check for pre-existing conditions. After signing up, let us know your vet's details in the app. We’ll contact them for your pet's records and inform you of any pre-existing conditions that aren’t covered. This process usually takes a few weeks depending on when we hear back from your vets.

1. Start new claim: In-app 📲, go to treatments, and click ‘new claim’. Let us know which vet your pet visited. You can track progress in-app, and we’ll notify you if we need more info.

   
   

2. We contact your vet: We’ll email your vet to upload the invoice and clinical notes to our portal.

   
   

3. Process claim: If Fast Claims is set up, it’s within opening hours, and your vet allows direct payments, we can work out cover in 15 minutes while you’re at the vet. You pay your contribution in-app, and we’ll transfer the full invoice to your vet. Otherwise, we can pay you ‌the covered amount after your contribution.

Fetch Fast Claims ⚡️ is designed to make the claims process quick and easy for you and your vet. Here’s how it works:

1. Assess health history: When you first join Fetch, let us know your pet’s vets (including any previous vets) and we can check their health history to identify any pre-existing conditions. This helps you know your pet’s cover upfront.

   
   

2. Direct payments to vets: If your vet supports direct payments, Fetch can pay the entire invoice to your vet. You only need to pay your contribution (including any excluded items) in-app first. Fetch doesn’t charge any fees for this service, and we can pay your vet in real-time, depending on their bank.

   
   

3. Quick processing: Claims are checked and paid in just 15 minutes, during opening hours and once all necessary information is provided.

To use your pet’s plan you’ll need the Fetch app 📲, here you can:

📄 See and manage plan documents (including PDS)
🐾 Update you and your pet's details
⏳ Skip wait periods and set up Fast Claims
📋 Submit and track claims
🏥 Update vet details
💬 Contact us or our 24/7 pet emergency line