PHI Direct is the first pet insurance offering in Canada to accept PayPal and Apple Pay

PHI Direct’s, new Fluff-free Pet Health Insurance™ was launched in Canada for pet owners looking for introductory coverage for their pet at affordable price points. Designed to be in a class of its own, PHI Direct offers premiums starting as low as $10.19 for cats and $15.20 for dogs.

PHI Direct offers two policy options, Direct 5 or Direct 10, with annual benefit maximums of $5,000 or $10,000, respectively. While many pet owners know pet health costs can run into the tens of thousands of dollars over a pet’s lifetime, comprehensive coverage comes at a cost. For those looking for an alternative option for the essential coverage, PHI Direct provides the solution.

In addition to being a new policy that includes annual benefit maximums, PHI Direct’s monthly premiums are further reduced by providing coverage to only new illnesses or accidents for up to a year.

With PHI Direct’s ‘Time-Limited’ plans, any condition that a pet is treated for in the current policy year would not be covered in the next year of coverage. Upon renewal, PHI Direct members would continue to benefit from coverage for a host of new medical conditions and accidents that a pet may experience in the years to come.

The launch of PHI Direct comes at a time when there has been a notable increase in first time pet parents welcoming puppies and kittens into their homes as a result of COVID. There is also an uptick in pet ownership among millennials where the costs of premium products currently on the market may not fit within their budgets. PHI Direct was created with those pet parents in mind.

For new, or existing, pet owners looking for limited coverage PHI Direct was specifically designed without the bells and whistles (fluff-free) to provide introductory and immediate coverage.

“Our goal is to help insure more Canadian pets through our market-leading ‘Time-Limited’ approach to coverage,” said Randy Valpy, General Manager of PHI Direct. “PHI Direct answers the unmet need of the pet owner looking for introductory coverage at attractive price points by providing on-the-spot protection to meet their immediate needs for veterinary care and treatment for up to a year. Coverage doesn’t include the benefits of some of the leading providers in the industry, but the price point reflects that too.”

The new PHI Direct plan is based on the idea that, after the initial upfront medical expenses are taken care of, the pet owner is better able to manage ongoing costs of care for that specific condition.

PHI Direct is also the first pet insurance offering in Canada to accept PayPal and Apple Pay, underscoring its leading-edge in designing a new product for a new audience.

“With the ever-increasing costs to provide sophisticated veterinary care, it’s important that more pet families have accident and illness insurance. PHI Direct is the first option at this entry-level price point” said Valpy. “PHI Direct stands on its own as a policy that offers reasonable premiums to ensure pet owners can afford urgent medical care for their pets and receive the necessary care to save or improve their quality of life.”

PHI Direct will launch in the U.S. later this year.