Knose Pet Insurance Review (2023): All You Need To Know

Pros:

• Shorter waiting period of 14 days compared to other insurance providers
• No sub-limits or hidden costs, unlike many other brands
• Up to a $25,000 annual limit and 90% benefit percentage
• You’re given up to 90 days to make your claim, which is longer than many companies.
• Covers treatment expenses when you’re overseas in New Zealand or Norfolk Island
• Supportive and helpful customer service staff (live chat function available)

Cons:

• No multi-pet discount
• No GapOnly® (pay full amount upfront)

What’s Knose?

Knose Pet Insurance offers comprehensive pet insurance for companion pets in Australia. Knose has two simple pet insurance plans, one for dogs and another for cats.

Knose’s primary goal is to ensure your fur babies are the happiest and healthiest in the world. They enable you to access vet-designed wellness plans and comprehensive protection for rainy days at affordable prices.

If you’re looking for a simple yet customizable insurance plan for your pet, Knose Pet Insurance fits the bill. You’ll get to tailor your plan based on your preferred annual benefit limit, annual excess, and benefit percentage.

Here’s a comprehensive guide on what you need to know about Knose Pet Insurance, including the costs, what’s covered, and what’s not.

Is Your Pet Eligible for Knose Pet Insurance?

Knose Pet Insurance covers companion cats and dogs that live with you in Australia.

Cats or dogs that undertake work in search and rescue or guide dogs, assistance dogs, or custom sniffer dogs can be covered by Knose Pet Insurance. Cats or dogs training for or participating in shows are also eligible.

However, dangerous or banned breeds in Australia cannot be insured by Knose, and the same goes for cats or dogs participating in commercial and sporting activities (racing, fighting, breeding, guarding, etc.).

Pet owners with pets other than cats and dogs will not be able to obtain coverage under Knose.

Additionally, the minimum age for your pet to be eligible for entry is 6 weeks. Meanwhile, the maximum age for entry is 8 years.

How Much Does Knose Pet Insurance Cost?

The cost of Knose Pet Insurance really depends on various factors. They are as follows:

• The annual benefit limit. Knose allows you to pick your preferred annual limit. You’ll get to choose between $7,500, $12,500, and $25,000. You will be able to request to decrease your annual limit at any time, but you cannot request to increase it. The higher the annual limit, the higher the premium cost.
• The benefit percentage. The benefit percentage is how much Knose will cover when making a claim. You can choose between 70%, 80%, or 90%. Let’s say you pick 90% and submit a claim totalling $1,000. In that case, you’ll only pay $100, while Knose covers the remaining $900. The higher the benefit percentage, the higher the premium cost.
• The annual excess. Adding an annual excess to your policy means that the selected amount needs to be met before Knose will reimburse you for your vet claims. You can choose between an annual excess of $200, $100, or $0. A lower annual excess costs more.
• Your pet’s age. The older your pet is, the higher the premium cost per month. The premium cost will likely also increase as your pet grows older, and that‘s because older pets are more prone to diseases and may cost more to treat.
• Your pet’s breed. Certain breeds are more prone to diseases, and it may cost more to provide treatment and care to them. For instance, Knose will charge more to insure a Golden Retriever compared to a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
• Your address. Depending on where you live, vet costs may be higher.

Here are some estimated quotes you can expect from Knose Pet Insurance.

These estimated quotes above are based on the following:

• The annual limit is $12,500, and the benefit percentage is 70%.
• The annual excess is $200.
• There are NO optional extra benefits for dental illness, behavioural issues, or alternative therapies included, but you can add these on at an increased price.
• The owner resides in New South Wales.

As you can see from the above quotes, an older pet will be charged at a higher premium cost price. The breed of your pet can also make a difference in the monthly premium cost.

If you’d like to have additional optional benefits included in the package, you can opt for a higher-priced premium that also covers dental illness, behavioural issues, and alternative therapies. The price difference isn’t that significant—it‘s around $10 or so per month.

What makes Knose Pet Insurance worth it?

Pet insurance acts as a financial safety net for pet owners. Ultimately, pet insurance ensures you don‘t have to be put in a spot—choosing between optimal care for your pet and trying to save on vet costs.

As pet parents, we can never be too sure about when accidents, injuries, or ailments may strike. And vet treatment can rack up pretty high costs. Treating a snake bite may cost up to $23,000, and cancer treatment may be charged up to $15,000 in Australia [1].

Knose covers accidental pet injuries and illnesses (excluding pre-existing illnesses), providing financial cover when you need it.

Additionally, Knose also offers coverage for overseas travel to New Zealand and Norfolk Island. Emergency boarding and essential euthanasia are also covered under their policy.

There are completely no sub-limits you need to worry about. Most importantly, you will be able to adjust the benefit percentage, annual limit, and annual excess based on what you think your pet needs and your budget.

How does Knose’s price compare to other providers?

Knose has a pricing point similar to other popular Australian pet insurance providers.

Let’s compare Knose with a well-known pet insurance provider in Australia, Bow Wow Meow.

For a 1-year-old Golden Retriever, Knose will charge around $62, while Bow Wow Meow charges around $71. This is at a 70% benefit percentage, with no annual excess added to the policy. In this case, Knose offers a cheaper plan.

You’ll be expecting similar benefits from both providers. The major difference is that Bow Wow Meow offers a higher annual benefit limit of $15,000 (compared to $12,500 for Knose) at those quotes.

However, there are sub-limits under the Bow Wow Meow policy (such as for hip-joint surgery, cruciate ligament conditions, tick paralysis, and emergency boarding). On the other hand, there are completely NO sub-limits with Knose.

Here’s a quick table to sum up the differences.

Ultimately, Knose seems to provide competitive rates in comparison to other popular providers—with the advantage of no sub-limits and a straightforward plan tailored to your budget and needs.

Though some providers may seem to offer premium prices cheaper than Knose, be sure to take a good look at each company’s product disclosure statement (PDS). Cheaper plans may not provide coverage for certain illnesses or situations or may offer a lower annual limit or benefit percentage.

Additionally, some users have reported high annual premium increases under Knose. It’s hard to say which company offers the best value for money in the long run. So be sure to look out for previous user reviews on the margin of increase during renewals.

Knose Pet Insurance Policy and Information

Here are some pieces of information you’ll need to know before committing to this policy.

It’s also important to note the following:

• Your pet has to be residing with you in Australia and under your own care.
• You must arrange for your pet to be treated as soon as possible after sustaining an injury or illness.
• Your rights under the insurance policy cannot be transferred to another person without first getting written consent from Knose.

Knose Pet Insurance reviews

Knose has garnered impressive reviews, scoring 4.5 stars based on over 100 reviews. Many users have commented positively on Knose’s customer service, stating that their service staff are helpful, friendly, and quick with answering queries.

Many have stated that the claims are easy and simple to make, and most have had their claims processed with minimal issues.

However, a few clients have mentioned that their claims took longer than normal to process—but this could also be due to the vet clinic being too busy to quickly submit the required documents.

When should you consider insurance for your pet?

It’s best to get insurance for your pet as soon as you can, as long as they’ve already met the minimum entry age requirement.

Knose allows you to get your fur kid insured really early on, as their minimum age requirement is just 6 weeks. This is lower than the market standard of 8 weeks.

Pet insurance protects both you and your fur baby from expected high vet bills and ensures your pet gets the best treatment it needs for any injury or illness.

Ideally, it’s best to have your pet under insurance within the first six months of adopting them. Since insurance policies normally do not cover pre-existing conditions, getting your pet insured early on gives you a massive advantage. Your pet will then have protection before any illness or injuries arise, ensuring your policy covers future vet bills and expenses as much as possible.

What’s Covered by Knose Pet Insurance

In general, Knose Pet Insurance covers the following:

• Vet bills if your pet sustains injuries due to an accident or requires treatment for illness.
• Vet costs for euthanasia deemed essential by your vet.
• Vet costs during overseas travel to New Zealand or Norfolk Island for a trip of not more than 60 days.
• Emergency pet boarding for a period of up to 30 days. If you are hospitalized for four or more consecutive days and your pet cannot be placed under the care of a suitable person, you can claim for emergency boarding under Knose.

The general plan does not cover dental illness, behavioural problems, or alternative therapy (such as acupuncture or therapeutic massage). However, you can opt for them under optional extra benefits, but this comes at a higher premium each month.

You may wish to find out more details about the insurance‘s coverage and benefits by reading the product disclosure statement.

What’s Not Covered by Knose Pet Insurance

Here’s a summary of the exclusions:

• Vet costs for pre-existing conditions (more information below)
• Desexing
• Dental problems or behavioural issues, unless you choose to have them added on
• Preventative and routine care costs, including health check-ups, supplements, medicated foods, and (medicated) shampoos or conditions
• Certain types of procedures, such as breeding-related or experimental procedures
• Treatment for diseases that are preventable by vaccines if your pet’s vaccinations aren’t up to date
• Vet costs due to neglect

You can get more details on the exclusions from the Knose product disclosure statement.

Knose Claims Reimbursement

Submitting a claim with Knose is simple. You’ll need to submit it within 90 days from the date of treatment.

You can choose to do this in two ways:

1. You submit the claim online by logging in on their website. You’ll complete the form and attach a copy of the invoice, then your vet will be contacted for a copy of the related clinical notes.
2. Your vet may submit the invoice and clinical notes directly to Knose at [email protected]. You’ll then be contacted to confirm the claims.

Your claims would be typically assessed within five business days. Based on user reviews, it seems that most people have their claims resolved within 1-2 weeks.

Knose pays any claims directly to you, unless you have instructed them to pay the vet directly and if your vet has authorised direct payment.

Cancellation Information

You can request to cancel your policy with Knose at any time by contacting them.

You can call them at 1300 356 642, email them at [email protected], or use the live chat feature on their website here.

If the policy is cancelled, the following applies:

• Knose will refund a portion of the premium or policy fees, excluding the premium and policy fees that cover the period of time at which the insurance has been applied.
• If you have already made a claim, there will be no refund for the premium or policy fees.

Does Knose Cover Pre-existing Conditions?

Knose Pet Insurance does not cover pre-existing conditions. According to Knose, a pre-existing condition is an injury or illness that meets any of the following criteria:

• one that first starts occurring or showing symptoms, or
• one that has been identified or investigated by a vet, or
• one you were aware of, or a person in those circumstances are reasonably expected to have known about,

before your start date of cover or before the waiting period has elapsed.

The insurance company will perform pre-existing condition assessment during the assessment of your first claim by reviewing your pet’s available medical history. The assessment results will be shared with you, but they may change in the future based on the information and records that become available.

Alternatively, you may request that the pre-existing condition assessment be conducted before making the first claim.

Final Takeaway: Is Knose Worth It?

Knose isn’t the most expensive premium in the market, but it isn’t the cheapest, either. However, it allows you to tailor your insurance plan in such a way that it fits well into your preferred budget.

One highlight of Knose is the fact that it has no sub-limits, and that you get to choose between different benefit percentages, annual limits, and annual excess.

According to reviews, their customer service is commendable, and the claims are very quick and easy to make. The average waiting period for your claims to be processed and approved is within 1-2 weeks, which is pretty good.

Ultimately, Knose is one of the top choices if you’d like to get your fur baby insured and protected within your budget.

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