We’re proud of our partnership with Veterinary Specialists Aotearoa

Southern Cross Pet Insurance customers are benefitting from our partnership with Veterinary Specialists Aotearoa (VSA), New Zealand’s largest specialist veterinary group. VSA operate three vet 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, as well as the option to use Pet Easy-Claim.

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 has specialist vet treatment at VSA for an injury or illness, you’ll receive 10% off the total cost of the treatment they provide.

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.

You can authorise VSA to use Southern Cross Pet Insurance Pet Easy-Claim, which means that VSA can claim for treatment provided to your pet on your behalf.

Pet Easy-Claim is available between 9:30am – 4:30pm on business days (excluding public holidays in Auckland), with claims assessed within 30 minutes during this time. The team at VSA will ask you to complete an authorisation form so that they can claim on your behalf. We will pay VSA direct, and you only pay them the remaining balance.

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 and the policyholder name to VSA to qualify for the 10% discount. This discount applies to all treatment that VSA perform for your pet, but does not include any treatment provided by third-party providers eg radiotherapy.
• We operate Pet Easy-Claim Monday to Friday 9.30am-4.30pm (excluding public holidays in Auckland).
• 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.