If you are interested in getting pet insurance for your precious pooch, then your first question (after cost, of course), will likely be, “What does pet insurance actually cover?” What is included? What is not? What can I claim for? We answer all of these questions and more.
First things first, let’s define exactly what pet insurance is
Pet insurance is an affordable way to save on vet bills and medical costs when your pet gets sick or is injured. It is a policy bought by a pet owner and acts as a safety net to help protect you against unexpected costs related to your pet.
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How does pet insurance work?
Pet insurance reimburses you for certain medical expenses and vet bills. This protects you against the risk of paying high veterinary care fees, or worse, having to put your precious pet down because you are unable to afford treatment.
Every month, you will pay a certain amount to have your pet’s health covered. Depending on your plan (each pet insurer has a range of different plans), this will specify the amount of cover you will get for specific events.
For certain conditions such as pre-existing illnesses – these are health issues diagnosed before your policy begins – your pet insurance may apply a waiting period. This is a certain amount of time that has to pass before your cover can begin.
So, what does pet insurance actually cover?
Right then, let’s get to the point. With Oneplan Pet Insurance you are covered for:
Accident cover
Accidents are the things you didn’t see coming, such as your dog being hit by a car or falling from a height. Depending on what plan you choose, your pet insurer will help to pay the cost to treat injuries from car accidents, snake bites, burns etc.
Illness cover
An illness is an issue (disease or sickness) that started after your cover began. If your pet’s illness comes back in a 6 month period, then it will be covered as part of the initial illness claim and of course, is under your cover limit (the amount we pay for).
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Routine care
This includes sterilisation, vaccinations, deworming, flea control, teeth scaling and polishing. There are very few pet insurance plans that cover this benefit in the basic plan, although this benefit can often be added on to your plan at an additional fee.
Vet visits
This includes consultations, x-rays, blood tests, and minor dental procedures. These are typically your routine vet checkups that you take your pet for each year, or consultations where your pet does not get admitted to hospital.
Extra benefits at no extra cost
If something has to happen to you and you are in hospital and can not look after your pet, your pet insurance may cover kennel fees for someone to take care of your fur baby. They may also cover post-operative care or burial and cremation as an added benefit.
Does pet insurance cover unexpected pet pregnancy?
This is also a question we get asked quite often, most pet insurers do NOT include cover for pet pregnancy or related conditions to pregnancy. They do typically cover spaying and neutering, which is recommended.
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We hope this helps to give you a better understanding of the kinds of things that pet insurance covers, so you can see how it could benefit your pet and your wallet!
Yours in Not-So-Average Pet Advice,
The Petinsurance.co.za Team