Pet insurance can be a valuable financial safety net, but if you're anything like us, you'd prefer for your furry friend not to become unwell in the first place.
The Greencross Vets Healthy Pets Plus program is designed to be a happy medium - not quite pet insurance but a membership-based preventative care initiative. It'll help you keep your pet in tip-top shape by encouraging regular check-ups, educating you about maintaining your four-legged friend's health and promoting veterinary products and services.
Pros
Greencross Vets Healthy Pets Plus helps your pet stay healthy and well with unlimited veterinary consultations, free vaccinations and discounts on food, products and services
You can access all the membership benefits straight away, unlike pet insurance which often has strict waiting periods.
While there are over 160 clinics to choose from, you're locked into using only Greencross Vets.
You're not covered when things go wrong, unlike comprehensive pet insurance. Vet visits following a car accident, snake bite or broken bone are expensive and still need to be paid for.
Members of the Greencross Vets Healthy Pets Plus program are entitled to a comprehensive list of animal health products and services at no extra charge. Here's what's included:
Unlimited consultations and advice at Greencross Vets
Free access to Greencross's 24/7 video advice service
Free emergency consultations at selected emergency partner hospitals
Urine analysis and parasite faecal testing
Heartworm testing
Wellness blood test or pre-anaesthetic blood test
Nutritional counselling and weight management advice
20% discount on parasite and heartworm prevention
20% discount on vet prescription pet food
10% discount on all other products and services
Membership costs
Healthy Pets Plus offers two types of membership programs: canine and feline.
Both programs cost $540 per year.
Additional pets receive a 10% discount.
You can pay fortnightly, monthly or annually.
Pay in instalments at no additional cost.
What isn't covered
Since the Greencross Vets Healthy Pets Plus program is geared towards preventative care as opposed to pet insurance policies that only kick in after your pet becomes sick or injured, a number of exclusions apply.
Vet restrictions. The main limitation is that treatment and services must be provided by a Greencross vet, or in the case of urgent after-hours care, you must visit selected emergency partner hospitals.
Discounts only at specific retailers. Similarly, the discounts for products, medications and services only apply to items purchased from Greencross Vets.
Major consultations. Consultations greater than 20 minutes, for example, to treat dermatological or behavioural problems, are excluded.
Sedation. If your pet requires sedation, this is not covered by the membership.
Annual screening only. The health screening tests are only valid once per membership year.
Certain medications. Any medication purchased from compounding pharmacies is not included.
Why compare pet insurance with Finder?
You pay the same price as buying directly from the pet insurer.
We're not owned by an insurer (unlike other comparison sites).
We don't ask for your phone or email.
We've reviewed over 35 policies on the market, so you don't have to.
How do I cancel my membership?
If you become a member of the Healthy Pets Plus program and later decide that it's not right for you and your pet, you can cancel your membership.
Each membership is for a period of 12 months but new members have a one-month cooling-off period
Cancelling after this time means you'll need to pay for the benefits you've used
If you've fully paid for a whole year, the difference will be calculated for a refund
To cancel your membership, send an email to: info@healthypetsplus.com.au
The bottom line about Greencross Vets Healthy Pets Plus
The chief advantage of Greencross Vets Healthy Pets Plus is that you get access to a wide range of benefits that include free consultations, core vaccinations and annual health screening tests. Membership can be more affordable than some of the cheapest pet insurance policies and this could be more than enough for some pets. If you live in an apartment and your kitty never ventures any further than the balcony, for example, you might decide that pet insurance is not worth the investment.
Once you've paid your membership, you don't have to fork out anything extra for all your standard consultations and essential vaccinations. Plus, you get a discount on pet food, worming medication and other care essentials. This can seriously help cut down on the significant costs of owning a pet.
The drawback of a membership like this is that you won't be covered for serious illness or accidental injuries and will need to pay these costs out of pocket. If you decide you need both, then a more economical option could be comprehensive pet insurance with routine care pet cover.
Frequently asked questions about Healthy Pets Plus
Petbarn is part of the Greencross Group. Both Petbarn and Greencross Vets merged into one group in 2014.
Yes, you can use your membership at all participating Greencross Vets.
All consultations subsequent to your initial visit are free. If your pet requires additional medication, treatment, diagnostic tests or other services, you will receive a discount of 10%.
No, you can book your pet in for a free consultation and apply pet food discounts, etc as soon as you become a member.
You can pay the entire annual fee in full or set up a direct debit for monthly or fortnightly payments. If you choose the monthly or fortnightly options, you still need to pay the first $40 up front, followed by 11 monthly payments of $40, or 25 fortnightly payments of $17.60.
You must sign up for a minimum of 12 months, with a one-month cooling-off period. If you have opted for direct debit, your membership will renew automatically unless you inform the Healthy Pets Plus team within 14 days of your one-year anniversary.
If you cancel during the cooling-off period and you have paid more for membership than you have received in benefits, you may receive a refund. Otherwise, you will be required to pay the full year's membership or the full retail value of any services and discounts you've used – whichever is less.
No, each pet's care is tailored to the individual animal named on the membership.
Yes, membership can continue without a break on the condition that the new person signs on to continue any outstanding payments. Otherwise, you will be liable for any portion of the year's membership that has not yet been paid.
Cristal Dyer is a travel writer at Finder. She has been writing about travel for over five years and has visited over 40 countries around the world. Cristal currently travels full-time, writing about her favourite cities and food finds, and she is always on the lookout for amazing flight deals to share. See full bio
Accident only pet insurance will protect your pet from a range of accidents including getting hit by a car, being bit by a snake and even eating things they shouldn’t be eating.
Find out what will impact your pet insurance premium and receive quotes from Australian pet insurance brands. Key steps to reduce what you pay for cover.
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