The UK pet insurance market is facing growing pressure from both consumers and regulators. Rising veterinary costs, increasing premiums and concerns about transparency have pushed the sector into the spotlight, with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) introducing major reforms aimed at improving fairness for pet owners.
While these reforms are directly targeted at veterinary practices rather than insurers, they have important implications for the wider pet insurance ecosystem. The CMA’s primary objective is not to control prices, but to address information asymmetry, strengthen trust, and enable fair competition. In doing so, the reforms change the environment in which pet insurers assess risk, price policies, and manage claims.
As premiums continue to rise, many pet owners are increasingly questioning the value of cover and whether they are receiving fair pricing. In a more transparent veterinary market, this scrutiny is only set to increase, raising expectations across the industry and creating new challenges for insurers.
At the same time, long-standing issues, such as the accuracy of policy information, effective risk assessment, and the management of claims, are becoming more visible. In a market where customers are already experiencing significant premium increases, these pressures are intensifying and placing greater focus on fairness, transparency, and trust.
The CMA’s reforms ultimately represent a turning point for the industry. They are creating a clearer, more open environment that will shape how insurers operate, compete, and build customer confidence going forward.
Gain a deeper understanding of how the CMA reforms are reshaping the pet insurance landscape and what insurers need to do to respond.
