According to a survey published by Mintel, one in three pets
needs an unexpected visit to the vet each year. This means that
you are more likely to claim on your pet insurance than on a
home & contents policy or even your car insurance.
The word "unexpected" is important here. If you are looking for
pet insurance to provide cover for routine treatments such as
vaccinations or worming, forget it - policies that do that are
as rare as hens' teeth! And you won't find cover for elective
treatments, such as neutering, either. This means that the most
common reasons for visiting the vet are uninsurable.
But don't forget it's those unexpected visits that tend to be
the expensive ones! Developments in animal care mean that more
conditions can be effectively treated and costs of emergency
care can be horrendous. A cat that argues with a car could cost
£700, even more, to treat. After all, a series of X-rays could
cost £400 and a MRI scan will put you back £1,000. If Buster the
Bulldog tore a ligament that too can be treated - but the cost?
Don't expect change from £1,500! This is serious money!
Having appreciated that most reasons for a visit to the vet are
uninsurable, what do we get for our money?
Well, insurance plans largely fall into three types. The first
restricts the value of the claim for each condition or event;
the second limits the total annual payout and the third and
cheapest option, limits the payout per condition and ceases
cover after 12 months of treatment. Most will make a payout if
you pet dies. And with all policies you will have to pay an
excess on any claim, usually between £50 and £100.
And the cost? That depends on which type of policy you want, the
excess you want to pay, the sort of pet you have, its breed, its
age and even your post-code (vets charge more in Chelsea). But
as a guide, an industry estimate suggests costs between £30 and
£200 per year for a cat and between £50 to £500 for Buster.
The best advice is start the insurance when your pet is young.
Most pets can be insured after they're 8 weeks old and you can
then maintain the insurance over the course of its life. If your
pet is in it's middle age when you want to start the insurance,
say eight or nine for a dog, then it may be difficult to get
worthwhile cover. This is because treatments for existing health
conditions will be excluded from the cover and in any case, a
new policy at that age gets expensive.
So how can you lower the premiums? Sometime insurers will give
you a discount if you pet has been identity chipped and quantity
discounts do prevail! Discounts are widely available for your
second and subsequent insured pet.
Then there's always the Internet. The Internet is taking an
increasing share of the insurance market and no wonder - its
simple, quick and easy. What's more it's probably the cheapest
avenue for all your insurance whether it be for your home, your
car or pet.
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