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Pet insurance - which policy?
Why Insure Our Pets?
Veterinary fees due to major
surgery or illness can run into thousands of pounds. Insurance
policies cover against these costs and give you the reassurance
that if anything did go wrong, the cover would be there for you to
use. Whichever policy is chosen it should be a policy that covers
your pet right up to his / her final years.
Premiums and Excesses
All insurance policies have
premiums and excesses and these vary with different companies. The
cheaper the premium, the less cover the policy is likely to
provide. Premium costs are also reflected in the animal's age and
breed and also the cost of the veterinary fees in the area where
you live. Excess amounts are either a fixed amount or a percentage
of the cost of the treatment that must be paid by you. As with
premiums, excess amounts vary between differing policies and also
relate to the age of the animal.
What Should be Covered
Most policies cover veterinary
fees against illness and injuries, including the costs of
hospitalization and often for referral, however, some Insurance
Companies cover against INJURY ONLY. Other policies cover against
complementary treatment, behavioural treatment and diet foods, as
well as injury and illness. It is really important that you look
at what is being covered.
- Veterinary Fees - From
illness and injury
- Therapeutic diets -
Some policies pay towards special diets for patients with
heart, liver and kidney conditions.
- Complementary Treatments
- Such as acupuncture and hydrotherapy
- Third Party Liability -
This covers compensation and legal costs if your dog was held
liable for damage or accident
- Purchase price of pet -
Some companies refund the purchase price of the pet if it dies
from an illness or injury
What is not covered
- Preventative Treatments
- Vaccinations, neutering, worming, flea treatments, ID chips,
teeth scaling, claw clipping etc
- Pre-existing conditions
- Conditions that were suffered before the animal was insured.
Some companies lift these exclusions if the condition hasn't
recurred in one year.
- Dentistry - Unless
caused by disease
- Inherited and Congenital
Disease - Most well known companies will cover against
this provided the condition was not known about at the time
the policy was taken out. But BEWARE this is not always the
case.
- Pregnancy and Breeding
- House Calls - Unless
essential to the animal's welfare
Duration of Cover
Duration of cover for specific
illness / injuries can vary on policies.
Conditions may be excluded
- After payment has been
provided for a single treatment
- After one year
- Once a fixed amount of cover
has been provided
- Or Never
ALWAYS READ THE SMALL PRINT and
always check which type of contract you are entering
Types of Policies
- Lifetime Cover - This
policy is renewed every year. Claims can be continued over 1
year
- Fixed amount of cover for
life - Once maximum payment has been paid for a condition,
the condition is no longer covered if it reoccurs
- Annual Contract -
Conditions that arise in one year are excluded from future
contracts, regardless of whether the maximum payment had been
reached or treatment for the condition is complete.
Here at Andale we strongly
recommend that you insure your pet as soon as you get it.
We are an "Appointed
Representative Practice" for Pet Plan Ltd and can issue
immediate full cover or immediate temporary policies subject to
their terms and conditions.
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