HolisticPetCare.comThe 'Dos and Don'ts' of pet care insurance
Do shop around to get a good price and make sure that the policy you buy will give you the right kind of cover. The options here will vary depending on the type and value of your pet - if you own an exotic reptile that cost a lot to buy then you'll need different cover than if you own a gerbil!
Most policies will come with an excess - this is the amount that you pay before the insurance company takes over - the higher the excess is, the less you'll pay in monthly premiums.
Don't just buy any kind of cover - you need to know what you are getting. For example, some policies will give:
- Lifetime cover - which protects you for the life of your pet. Limits may be set here on how much you can claim every year for each condition/treatment.
- Annual cover - which gives you a certain financial amount of coverage on an annual basis so once you've reached a certain limit in a given year the policy will stop paying for the treatment.
- Condition restricted cover - some policies will only pay out for a condition for the first year that you need to make a claim. They won't cover any treatment in subsequent years for the same condition.
Most pet care insurance policies won't cover pre-existing medical conditions. And, if you own a pet whose breed may be prone to a hereditary condition then this isn't likely to be covered either - so do check!