As pet insurance enthusiasts, we have come across many myths and misconceptions. Many of these misconceptions are wildly believed to be true but they simply aren’t. Allow us to explain.
The more popular pet insurance becomes, the more misconceptions surround it. Many of these misconceptions lead to pet owners choosing to forgo pet insurance which, in our opinion, is quite a big mistake.
With so much misinformation out there, it can be difficult to navigate your way to the truth. Don’t worry though, we have identified some of the biggest misconceptions about pet insurance that we have come across. Let’s get into it.
Top 8 pet insurance misconceptions
1. Coverage is limited
One of the biggest misunderstandings about pet insurance is that your pet insurer will deny almost every single claim you make. This just isn’t true. Especially with a pet insurer like Oneplan.
Oneplan has amazing pet insurance policies that cover a variety of veterinary claims. Some pet insurers do reject more claims than others. It’s important for you to fully understand the policy you’re choosing and everything that is covered.
2. You have to find a new vet when signing a new policy
Just because you get pet insurance, that doesn’t mean you are automatically given a very limited list of vets that you can go to. Many pet insurers allow you to go to any registered vet of your choice.
Just ask the question to be sure!
3. Pet insurance isn’t worth the cost
The thought of adding another thing to your list of monthly expenses isn’t something you want to do in a hurry.
The thing is that pet insurance is far cheaper than the cost of vet bills. Pet medical costs are increasing all the time and have reached exponential rates that really hurt your bank account when the time comes.
From vaccinations to vet checks up to surgeries, pet insurance will 100% save you money in the long run!
4. Making a claim will increase your monthly premium
The misunderstanding that every time you make a claim the cost of your policy increases is widely spread.
But, in actual fact, the number of claims that you submit doesn’t affect your monthly base premium in any way! Your premium is based on the coverage and policy you choose, and a number of other factors dependent on your insurer.
5. Submitting a claim is difficult
Many people believe that insurers make it super difficult to submit a claim so that you’re more likely to not go through the hassle and then they don’t have to pay any money out.
This simply is not the case. Many pet insurers really care about the health of your fur child AND your budget and have made it a simple process to submit a claim.
Think about Oneplan, for example, all you have to do is load your day-to-day claim request on the Oneplan App and your Onecard will be loaded with the funds you need BEFORE you even go to the vet!
6. Senior animals won’t be covered
This is largely dependent on your pet insurer but most insurers want to look after your pet long into their golden years!
It may be more difficult to get pet insurance when your pet is older but if you have pet insurance from a young age, your pet will be covered for many, many years to come.
7. Pet insurance is the same as medical aid
There are many differences between pet insurance and medical aid! But pet insurance works very similarly to human health insurance and the main aim is to put the health of the insured and their budget first.
Everyone has the right to quality medical care – even fur kids!
8. It makes more sense to have a savings account
This is quite a big misconception! We recently saw a post on a Facebook group where someone asked for pet insurance recommendations and a few people mentioned that you should forget pet insurance and simply open a savings account dedicated to your pet’s medical care.
Now, we know this sounds like a great idea. You have complete control over this account and you don’t have to submit any claims. BUT there are some MAJOR flaws with this idea;
- You never know when a medical emergency may strike, and what if you haven’t saved enough to cover it?
- You need to have some serious discipline to make sure that you actually save every month and that you save a pretty decent amount.
- Pet insurers often offer discounts when you insure multiple pets. Are you able to save enough money each month to cover multiple pets in the event that two or more are ill at the same time? Or one month after the other in unlucky events?
- Vet bills can add up pretty quickly – will you really have enough money saved?
Pet insurance ensures that you’ll be reimbursed for eligible events quickly and allows you to have more personal funds available after a medical emergency occurs.
Misconceptions can be common but no matter what way you look at it, there is no reason not to have pet insurance.
Until next time,
The petinsurance.co.za team