Back to Pet insurance

Budget Direct Essential

Comprehensive injury and illness cover for cats and dogs

CHOICE Expert Rating

Rating available to members only
What is the CHOICE Expert Rating?
Good points

Good Points

Member only content

The product's best features and benefits

Bad points

Bad Points

Member only content

Drawbacks or issues you need to know about

CHOICE Tester
Unlock

Unlock our expert review and more

Check Reviews you can trust
Check Easy side-by-side comparison
Check Recommended products at a glance
Join CHOICE

Description

Insurer
Budget Direct
Policy
Essential
Underwriter
Auto & General Insurance Company Limited
Policy type
Comprehensive injury and illness cover
Animals covered
Cats and dogs

Cover summary

Minimum age for new cover
8 weeks
Maximum age for new cover
8 years
Maximum benefit per year
$12,000
Benefit paid per claim
80% vet bill covered

Excesses

Excess
Choose excess from $100 or $200

Covered events

Injury
  • Comprehensive cover
  • 2 day waiting period
Illness
  • Comprehensive cover
  • 30 day waiting period
Vet consults
Covered
Emergency treatment
Pre-existing conditions
Can be covered if condition is cured and pet is symptom-free for 12 months

Conditions

Allergic reaction
Covered
Brachycephalic Airway Obstruction Syndrome
  • Covered
  • No cover for pets under 1 year old
  • Standard waiting periods
Behavioural conditions
Not covered
Cancer
  • Covered
  • Standard waiting periods
Cruciate ligament conditions
  • Covered
  • Up to $2600
  • Cover includes osteoarthritis in a previously affected knee
  • 6 month waiting period
Ear conditions
  • Covered
  • Standard waiting periods
Eye conditions
  • Covered
  • Standard waiting periods
Dental and oral health conditions
  • Covered for injury
  • No cover for dental disease, removal of deciduous teeth, gingivitis, tartar or periodontitis
  • Does not cover preventative dental care, cosmetic dentistry, cleaning or scale and polish
Ingestion of a foreign object
  • Covered
  • Up to 2 incidents per year
  • Standard waiting periods
Heart conditions
  • Covered
  • Standard waiting periods
Orthopaedic conditions
  • Covered
  • Up to $4000
  • Standard waiting periods
Patella luxation
  • Covered
  • Standard waiting periods
Joint conditions
  • Covered
  • Standard waiting periods
Intervertebral disc disease
  • Covered
  • 30 day waiting period
Hereditary conditions
  • Covered
  • Standard waiting periods
Pregnancy and obstetrics
Illness caused by parasites
  • Covered
  • Cover limited to tick paralysis
  • No cover for conditions caused by reasonably preventable parasites, internal parasites, worms, heartworm, external parasites, fleas or ticks
  • Up to $1000 for tick paralysis
  • 30 day waiting period
Skin conditions
  • Covered
  • Standard waiting periods
Snakebite
  • Covered
  • Up to $1000
  • Covers snake bite and strangling by snake
  • 2 day waiting period
Vaccinatable Conditions
  • Covered
  • Insurer requires up to date vaccination for canine distemper, canine parvovirus, canine kennel cough, canine hepatitis, canine adenovirus, feline herpes virus, feline calicivirus, feline enteritis and feline parvovirus and infections vet has recommended vaccination for

Additional benefits

Routine care
Not covered
Alternative therapies
Not covered
Lost animal
Not covered
Necessary euthanasia
Telehealth vet service
Not covered
Legal liability
Not covered

Claims

Howtoclaim
  • Email claim form
  • Mail claim form
  • Web form (customer or vet can submit)
Quickeasyclaims
Not covered
Directpayments
Not covered

Looking for user reviews?

We don't offer user reviews anymore. Help us improve this expert review by sharing your feedback in a quick survey.