We’re excited to announce our partnership with Veterinary Specialists Aotearoa

From 1 November 2024, Southern Cross Pet Insurance customers will benefit from our new partnership with Veterinary Specialists Aotearoa (VSA), New Zealand’s largest specialist veterinary group. VSA operate three hospitals – two in Auckland and one in Christchurch.

As a Southern Cross Pet Insurance customer, VSA will offer you 10% off their usual treatment costs and what’s more, you can use Pet Easy-Claim if your pet’s treatment cost is over $1,000.

10% off specialist veterinary and emergency treatment for Southern Cross Pet Insurance customers

As a Southern Cross Pet Insurance customer, if your cat or dog needs specialist vet treatment at VSA for an injury or illness, you’ll receive 10% off the total cost of treatment.

We know that if your pet needs specialist or emergency treatment, things can be stressful enough – we’re working with VSA to make it easier for you to prioritise the health and wellbeing of your pet and reduce the worry of the cost of care.

Plus, we offer Pet Easy-Claim for claims over $1,000.

If the cost of your pet’s treatment is over $1,000, you can use Pet Easy-Claim, where we work directly with VSA to manage your claim for you. You can talk to VSA about your eligibility for this service, and if approved, VSA will submit the claim on your behalf and we’ll pay them what you’re eligible for under your policy directly, you just need to pay them the balance of the treatment costs - it’s just one more way that we can provide reassurance and convenience at a tough time.

In the future, we would hope to extend Pet Easy-Claim to other specialist vets, so that more of our customers can benefit from this experience.

Who are VSA and what do they do?

VSA provide specialist veterinary services across the North and South Islands – offering specialist surgical, imaging, cancer care, cardiology and other medical treatment, plus small animal physiotherapy.

Specialist veterinarians like VSA provide advanced care options that support the care provided by your regular vet. Your regular vet is still your first contact for most veterinary treatment, including vaccinations, wellness exams, and primary care. If your vet decides that VSA is the best option for more specialist treatment for your pet, they will refer you to VSA in the same way that your GP might refer you to a specialist if required.

If you live in Auckland, and your pet suffers a serious injury or is very unwell outside of your regular vet’s opening hours, you can also access VSA's 24 Hour Animal Emergency Service at VSA Sylvia Park and VSA Auckland West.

When your pet needs treatment at VSA

Here’s what you need to know.

• For non-emergency situations your regular vet will need to provide a referral in order for your pet to be treated at VSA
• You will need to have a current paid up Southern Cross Pet Insurance policy and provide your policy number to VSA to qualify for the 10% discount. This discount applies to all treatment that your pet receives at VSA, from 1 November 2024.
• Claims of $1,000 or over, (before the 10% price reduction is applied), are eligible for Pet Easy-Claim, where VSA claims directly from us on your behalf. We operate this service Monday to Friday 9.30am-4.30pm.
• You will need to sign an authorisation for VSA to request this service on your behalf.
• You are still responsible for the balance of the treatment costs, and will need to pay these to VSA directly (these may comprise any applicable annual excess and co-payment, and any part of the cost that exceeds your annual benefit limit and/or the sublimit applicable for treatment for cruciate ligament conditions).
• If you need to access emergency care and payment is required outside our working hours, you will need to pay and claim in the normal way.
• This 10% price reduction and Pet Easy-Claim direct claiming arrangement applies for an initial 12 month period starting 1 November 2024, and may change or cease at any time.