PEIA celebrates first anniversary with fresh collaboration call

An association formed to help drive improvements in the pet and equine insurance sector is calling for greater collaboration as it celebrates its first anniversary.

The Pet and Equine Insurance Association (PEIA) was formed last year in response to what it describes as “ongoing pressure” caused by rising costs, claims inflation and “increasing friction” between insurers, vet practices and consumers.

To tackle some of these issues, the PEIA is bringing veterinary professionals, insurers, brokers, specialist suppliers and regulators together to solve some of the serious challenges it sees facing the pet and equine insurance sector.

‘Shaping solutions’

Sharon Brown, founder and CEO of PEIA, said: “PEIA was created because there was no single place where vets, insurers and consumers could come together to work through the real issues in the system in a practical way. One year on, we’ve built momentum, but the key point remains: if veterinary teams are not involved in shaping solutions, those solutions will not work in practice.

”If we want a system that works better, we need to listen properly and build solutions together.”

Practical improvements

The focus of the association is to develop practical improvements, including simplifying claims processes, improving payment reliability, supporting clearer communication with pet owners, and ensuring veterinary insight directly informs claims handling and product design.

Ms Brown added: “If collaboration is going to work, it has to make life easier for veterinary teams. That means less administration, clearer requirements, fewer repeat requests, more predictable payments and better-informed clients. Ultimately, this is about supporting access to care and protecting animal welfare.”

Short survey

As well as plans to develop a vet associate membership model for practice teams, the PEIA has a conference planned for December as well as a series of forums covering claims, complaints and fraud, the role of AI in veterinary and insurance journeys and vulnerable customers and animals.

The PEIA is also inviting veterinary professionals and practice teams to get involved by completing a short survey on where pet insurance creates the most operational friction and what changes would make the biggest difference to them.

To find out more visit the PEIA website or email [email protected]