Vet bill calculator: what you'd pay under each policy
Enter a vet bill and see the excess plus co-payment split for seven New Zealand pet insurers' mid-tier plans, side by side.
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Recalculates instantly, seven insurers at once
Dog, 4 years old. Assumes an eligible, non-pre-existing claim with no sub-limit.
| Insurer | Plan used | You'd pay | Insurer pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA Pet | Core cover ($10,000 annual benefit limit, $250 excess) | $800 | $2,200 |
| Cove | Major | $1,200 | $1,800 |
| PD Insurance | Classic Plan ($150 excess; $5,000 per-claim sub-limit applies within the $10,000 annual limit) | $150 | $2,850 |
| Petcover | Vital ($10,000 annual benefit limit, $100 excess, 20% co-payment) | $680 | $2,320 |
| SPCA Pet | The Works Cover ($20,000 annual benefit limit, no excess, 80% Benefit Percentage) | $600 | $2,400 |
| Southern Cross Pet | PetCare GoldRibbon ($10,000 annual benefit limit, $250 excess, 20% co-payment) | $800 | $2,200 |
| Tower | Essentials ($7,000 annual policy aggregate, no excess, mandatory 20% co-payment) | $600 | $2,400 |
Get these compared against your pet's actual details →
How a vet bill splits between you and the insurer
Every NZ pet insurance policy pays a vet bill in the same shape: you pay an excess (a fixed dollar amount, or nothing on a $0-excess plan), then a co-payment percentage of what is left, up to the plan's annual benefit limit. The worked examples below apply that formula — excess plus co-payment percentage of the bill above the excess, capped at the plan's annual limit — to each insurer's published mid-tier plan, for a pet under 8 years old with no pre-existing condition and no sub-limit in play. Use the pet cover quote form to get these compared against your own pet's details, or see the pet insurance hub for the full insurer write-ups.
Worked example: a $1,500 vet bill
| Insurer | Plan used | You'd pay | Insurer pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA Pet | Core cover ($10,000 annual benefit limit, $250 excess) | $500 | $1,000 |
| Cove | Major | $1,050 | $450 |
| PD Insurance | Classic Plan ($150 excess; $5,000 per-claim sub-limit applies within the $10,000 annual limit) | $150 | $1,350 |
| Petcover | Vital ($10,000 annual benefit limit, $100 excess, 20% co-payment) | $380 | $1,120 |
| SPCA Pet | The Works Cover ($20,000 annual benefit limit, no excess, 80% Benefit Percentage) | $300 | $1,200 |
| Southern Cross Pet | PetCare GoldRibbon ($10,000 annual benefit limit, $250 excess, 20% co-payment) | $500 | $1,000 |
| Tower | Essentials ($7,000 annual policy aggregate, no excess, mandatory 20% co-payment) | $300 | $1,200 |
Worked example: a $5,000 vet bill
| Insurer | Plan used | You'd pay | Insurer pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA Pet | Core cover ($10,000 annual benefit limit, $250 excess) | $1,200 | $3,800 |
| Cove | Major | $1,400 | $3,600 |
| PD Insurance | Classic Plan ($150 excess; $5,000 per-claim sub-limit applies within the $10,000 annual limit) | $150 | $4,850 |
| Petcover | Vital ($10,000 annual benefit limit, $100 excess, 20% co-payment) | $1,080 | $3,920 |
| SPCA Pet | The Works Cover ($20,000 annual benefit limit, no excess, 80% Benefit Percentage) | $1,000 | $4,000 |
| Southern Cross Pet | PetCare GoldRibbon ($10,000 annual benefit limit, $250 excess, 20% co-payment) | $1,200 | $3,800 |
| Tower | Essentials ($7,000 annual policy aggregate, no excess, mandatory 20% co-payment) | $1,000 | $4,000 |
Worked example: a $12,000 vet bill
| Insurer | Plan used | You'd pay | Insurer pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA Pet | Core cover ($10,000 annual benefit limit, $250 excess) | $2,600 | $9,400 |
| Cove | Major | $2,100 | $9,900 |
| PD Insurance | Classic Plan ($150 excess; $5,000 per-claim sub-limit applies within the $10,000 annual limit) | $2,000 | $10,000 |
| Petcover | Vital ($10,000 annual benefit limit, $100 excess, 20% co-payment) | $2,480 | $9,520 |
| SPCA Pet | The Works Cover ($20,000 annual benefit limit, no excess, 80% Benefit Percentage) | $2,400 | $9,600 |
| Southern Cross Pet | PetCare GoldRibbon ($10,000 annual benefit limit, $250 excess, 20% co-payment) | $2,600 | $9,400 |
| Tower | Essentials ($7,000 annual policy aggregate, no excess, mandatory 20% co-payment) | $5,000 | $7,000 |
These figures assume an eligible, non-pre-existing claim with no sub-limit applying. Real claims are frequently reduced further by a named sub-limit (for example, most insurers cap cruciate ligament treatment well below the annual benefit limit) — the insurer-by-insurer pages name each published sub-limit. Petcover's Vital plan also adds an Age Contribution once a pet turns 8 (20%) or 10 (35%) on top of its chosen co-payment; the examples above use a pet under 8, so no age loading applies. PD Insurance's Classic Plan reimburses 100% of the amount above its excess (no co-payment), but caps any single claim at $5,000 within its $10,000 annual limit.
Every plan used, sourced
| Insurer | Plan and figures used | Source |
|---|---|---|
| AA Pet | Core cover ($10,000 annual benefit limit, $250 excess) | AA Pet Insurance Policy Document, pp.10, 21, as read 17 September 2026 |
| Cove | Major | Cove pet insurance page, as read 17 September 2026 |
| PD Insurance | Classic Plan ($150 excess; $5,000 per-claim sub-limit applies within the $10,000 annual limit) | PD Insurance Policy Wording; PD Insurance FAQ page, as read 17 September 2026 |
| Petcover | Vital ($10,000 annual benefit limit, $100 excess, 20% co-payment) | Petcover Mid-Range PDS (Core, Vital & Key); Superior PDS Age Contribution table, as read 17 September 2026 |
| SPCA Pet | The Works Cover ($20,000 annual benefit limit, no excess, 80% Benefit Percentage) | The Works Cover Policy Document, pp.5, 7, as read 17 September 2026 |
| Southern Cross Pet | PetCare GoldRibbon ($10,000 annual benefit limit, $250 excess, 20% co-payment) | PetCare Policy Document, pp.9-10, 61-64, as read 17 September 2026 |
| Tower | Essentials ($7,000 annual policy aggregate, no excess, mandatory 20% co-payment) | Tower Comprehensive & Essentials Policy Wording; Tower pet insurance page, as read 17 September 2026 |
QuoteHub does not sell these policies on this page. Its licensed advisers may receive commission from an insurer if you take out cover through them.
Why the same bill costs different amounts at different insurers
A low headline excess does not automatically mean a lower total cost. Tower and SPCA's Works Cover both charge no excess at all, but Tower's $7,000 annual limit is reached sooner on a large claim than SPCA's $20,000 limit or Southern Cross's $10,000 GoldRibbon limit. PD Insurance's Classic Plan has no percentage co-payment, but its $5,000 per-claim sub-limit caps what it pays on any single large bill regardless of the $10,000 annual limit. Comparing a single number (excess, or co-payment, or annual limit) in isolation misses how the three interact on an actual bill, which is what this calculator works out.
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