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RSPCA Pet Insurance Review: Features, Pros And Cons

Sophie Venz
Editor

Updated: Apr 18, 2024, 2:27pm

Johanna Leggatt
editor

Edited By

Editorial note: Forbes Advisor Australia may earn revenue from this story in the manner disclosed here. Read our advice disclaimer here.

The RSPCA Ultimate Plus Accident and Illness Cover policy is a reasonable choice for pet owners, with features on par with the industry standard, such as an 80% reimbursement rate and the option to add routine care at an additional cost. It does offer GapOnly services, which is a huge benefit for consumers, and while no excess can be beneficial, it also means that policyholders may be paying more in premiums.

Related: Best Pet Insurance Providers

Pros

  • Positive reviews
  • GapOnly is available
  • No sub-limit for tick paralysis

Cons

  • Routine care isn’t automatically included
  • No excess choices to lower premium
  • Average reimbursement rate
RSPCA Pet Insurance
3.8
Our ratings take into account the card’s rewards, fees, rates along with the card’s category. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Maximum annual claim
$15,000
Choice of Excess
No
GapOnly Payment
Yes

Table of Contents

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About RSPCA Pet Insurance

When you hear the name RSPCA, you likely think of animals. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is recognised as Australia’s leading animal welfare organisation, so it’s no surprise that the RSPCA released its own pet insurance product to Australian pet owners.

To create their pet insurance product line, the RSPCA partnered with PetSure Pty Ltd and the Hollard Insurance Company. The product is well regarded by customers Australia-wide, receiving a ranking of 4.3 stars from nearly 7,000 reviews on ProductReview.

Forbes Advisor Australia has analysed RSPCA’s most comprehensive pet insurance offering, being RSPCA Ultimate Plus Accident and Illness Cover policy. It’s available for both cats and dogs.

What Type of Pets Does RSPCA Cover?

RSPCA will only cover cats and dogs, including puppies and kittens. For special or exotic pets, you would need to find an alternative pet insurance policy provider.

What’s Covered By RSPCA’s Pet Insurance?

The RSPCA offers four different levels of coverage, with plans tailored towards cats or dogs. The highest level of coverage is the RSPCA Ultimate Plus Accident & Illness Cover which, as the title intends, provides top-tier coverage in addition to accident and illness care.

The policy provides a $20,000 annual claim limit, which is on the upper side of the industry standard (most providers have a limit of $15,000). However, it only has a reimbursement rate of 80%, which is the standard for the industry, and considering this is RSPCA’s most premium plan, we would have liked to see a higher rate.

A key benefit of RSPCA pet insurance is that GapOnly is offered. The GapOnly service means pet owners only have to pay the ‘gap’ between what the vet charges and what the insurer covers. If GapOnly isn’t offered, the pet owner would have to pay the full cost of the vet visit and be reimbursed after the fact from the pet insurance company.

More in-depth details of the policy inclusions and exclusions are explained below.

Is spaying and neutering covered?

Spaying and neutering (also known as desexing) is considered to be a routine care policy by the RSPCA–which the policy doesn’t automatically cover. Instead, pet owners must purchase the optional routine care cover in addition to the base policy.

In doing so, the policy will allow for the annual claim of heart-worm testing and urinalysis, and additionally an annual benefit of $50 that can be put towards a range of services, one of which is desexing.

What about older pets?

Older pets can be covered by RSPCA granted there has been no break in cover before the age of nine years old. Policies are available from the age of eight weeks, and can continue for life if the cover doesn’t lapse. New policies are not available over the age of nine.

Is there a sub-limit for tick paralysis?

Ticks are a large problem for our pets in Australia, and thankfully the RSPCA recognises this by not charging an annual sub-limit for tick paralysis. That means your pet will always be covered for tick paralysis treatment as long as it does not exceed the annual claims limit.

Is Dental Covered?

No, dental is not covered within the RSPCA Ultimate Plus Accident and Illness Cover policy. Instead, the policyholder can choose to add the optional routine care cover package onto the policy, with the $50 annual benefit able to be claimed towards teeth cleaning.

What about add-ons for alternative therapies?

Alternative therapies are also available to be covered under the RSPCA policy if the routine care add-on is purchased. The $50 benefit can be put towards alternative therapies, but they are not covered in the base policy.

Excess Options

Having a choice of excess means you have some control over the price of your policy: a higher excess means you pay less on an annual premium, while a lower excess generally means you’ll have a higher premium but will pay less upon making a claim.

However, at the RSPCA, there is no excess. This means you don’t have to pay any money when making a claim, but you also cannot lower your premium by choosing a higher excess.

How long is the waiting period?

If you take out the RSPCA Ultimate Plus Accident and Illness Cover policy, there is no waiting period for treatment due to accidents. For illnesses, this waiting period increases to 30 days and cruciate ligament treatment is a six-month waiting period.

The RSPCA website states that these waiting periods may be waived on application upon consideration of certain factors.

Are there any discounts or bonuses?

The RSPCA offers a 10% multi-pet policy discount, with the 10% discount applied to each additional policy. Additionally, at the time of writing, new policy-holders will get their first month free.

Final Thoughts

While the RSPCA is synonymous with animal care, its pet insurance offering isn’t as premium as other pet insurance providers on the market. It has a good annual claims limit and offers a GapOnly service, which is hugely beneficial, but its lack of routine care, and other standard features, detracts from its overall value.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Does the RSPCA offer pet insurance?

Yes, the RSPCA offers four different levels of pet insurance cover. The most comprehensive of the four offerings has been reviewed above, including its pros, cons and finer details of inclusions.

What is the waiting period for RSPCA’s pet insurance?

The waiting period for the RSPCA Ultimate Plus Accident and Illness Cover policy depends on the veterinary care required. These are:

  • No waiting period for accidents
  • 30 days for illnesses
  • Six months for cruciate ligaments.

How much does RSPCA pet insurance cost?

You will note that Forbes Advisor Australia has not analysed the cost of pet insurance in our pick of the best policies for Australians, nor in the above review. This is because the price of pet insurance can vary depending on a range of factors: whether your pet is a cat or a dog, the age of your pet, any pre-existing medical conditions, thee breed, and more.

To get the best estimate of your RSPCA pet insurance cost, you can use their free quote tool online.

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Sophie Venz Editor

Sophie Venz is an experienced editor and features reporter, and has previously worked in the small business and start-up reporting space. Previously the Associate Editor of SmartCompany, Sophie has worked closely with finance experts and columnists around Australia and internationally.

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