Why pet insurance is a wise investment for pets in Surrey
May 25, 2023
Pet insurance – a hot topic that we encourage all pet owners to discuss. It can feel confusing when trying to find a suitable insurance policy to provide your pet with the best protection, but here at Molesey Vets we want to help you.
Should your pet suffer from an illness or injury that requires veterinary treatment, sadly one of the factors that all owners must consider is the financial implications. Our team of experienced vets and nurses encourage Surrey pet owners to plan ahead. Should your pet ever need life-saving care, being able to get them the treatment they need instead of what is affordable at the time can make all the difference.
Read our team’s advice on why pet insurance is a wise investment. If you have any further questions regarding pet insurance or wish to discuss how we can help with insurance claims, please do get in touch.
Why pet insurance a wise investment
1. You can insure many different pets
All types of pets can have a pet insurance policy. Dogs, cats, rabbits, reptiles and many other fluffy and exotic pets!
2. A wide range of benefits
Some insurance providers offer extra benefits alongside illness and injury payments. For example, they may provide wellness benefits, a variety of support should you need it and alternative therapies. Make sure you read the small print to see what your pet may have access to, should you start an insurance claim.
3. Being prepared can give you peace of mind
Unexpected costs can come as a shock but planning ahead and having the appropriate pet insurance policy in place can help to alleviate some of the stress. You can never guarantee when an injury or illness may happen and so it’s wise to always be prepared.
Searching for the best type of pet insurance
When thinking about pet insurance it can be confusing with all the different companies and types of policy that they offer. Here are a few key things to look out for when shopping for your pet’s policy:
- Are there any exclusions on the policy?
- What is your insurance excess?
- What is the amount of coverage available for each type of illness or injury?
- Does the policy offer your pet lifetime cover for an illness or does the cover end after a specific amount of time?
- Does the policy offer third party liability?
- Does your vet deal directly with the company?
- Will there be a change in the pricing structure when your pet reaches a certain age – eg. a veteran/senior policy.
By purchasing a policy with lifetime cover included as a benefit, this helps if your pet starts to develop ongoing medical conditions that need lifetime treatment, such as arthritis.
How much cover does my pet need?
It is worth considering your individual pet when deciding what insurance policy to purchase. Certain breeds are predisposed to certain medical conditions, whilst larger animals may cost more in treatment, due to them needing a larger amount of medication. We encourage all pet owners in Surrey to think carefully before purchasing to make sure it is the right choice.
What about previous/existing conditions?
If your pet has a previous or existing condition, this will need to be disclosed before purchasing a new pet insurance policy and may result in exclusions within the policy – it is a legal requirement that all conditions are disclosed. We recommend insuring your pet as early as possible as this will help to cover them for a wider range of illness/injuries – especially if you are interested in a policy with lifetime cover.
What about the insurance excess?
When looking at the excess amount (the amount you will pay towards the claim cost), you can often understand the relationship between the excess amount and the policy cost. Whether you pay monthly or annually, before you decide to purchase the policy, it is wise to decide on whether paying a higher excess amount and lowering the cost of the policy is the best option for you, or vice versa.
What is a co-payment?
Due to the fact that pets typically need more treatment for illnesses as they get older, some insurance companies tend to increase policy renewal prices by a higher percentage when pets hit a certain age. Some insurers might also require a ‘co-payment’ – which means that should you need to make a claim, you will pay (usually) a percentage of the costs before they settle the rest.
What is third-party liability and why is it important?
One consideration is third-party liability. Whilst you might think of your pet insurance policy only looking after the health of your own pet, what if your pet was to cause injury or damage to someone else? By taking out a policy with third party-liability included, you would then be covered if this was the case.
The team at Moseley Vets advise pet owners that it is important to remember that a pet insurance policy is a contract between you and your insurance provider. It is not a pet health plan and does not cover routine pet health care. Pet insurance is there to provide cover for illnesses and injuries that could occur and therefore you should always make sure you understand the policy benefits, exclusions and terms before making your purchase.
Finally, our team recommend that Surrey pet owners put a lot of consideration into choosing the right pet insurance policy as if you decide you want to change your policy provider in the future, any existing conditions your pet experiences will most likely not be covered.
Contact us about making an insurance claim
If you are looking for a pet health plan that helps with routine preventative care, take a look at our Healthy Pet Club here.
