Pet Insurance, The Basics

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     Pet insurance could save you a great deal of money if your pet were to come down with an illness or be involved in an accident. Vets fees could be a substantial amount if your pet has to have tests and treatment and the insurance policy would pay towards these costs. Along with this there are many other benefits to taking out a policy.

What might be covered in a policy?

Along with providing you with protection for financial worry if your pet is injured or becomes sick pet insurance typically cover many other events that could otherwise see you paying substantial amounts out of your own pocket. A policy could cover:

- The cost of advertising if your pet gets lost or is stolen. The insurance provider might also pay out for a reward to help recover your pet.

- Third party liability insurance in the event that your dog injures someone or the property of a third party. Typically the insurance provider would pay towards legal costs.

- Money towards a stay in either a cattery or a kennel if the pet's owner has to go into hospital and there is no close relative to look after the dog or cat.

- The death of your pet by accident or illness. Usually the policy pays out the cost of your pet upon its death.

- Access to a helpline for advice or bereavement counselling.

What might not be covered in a policy?

As with any form of insurance there are certain things that the pet insurance would not pay out for. You could find that the provider might not payout for:

- Any preventative treatments that your pet has such as de-worming medication and vaccinations.
- Treatments or medication that could come about during or after pregnancy.
- Any home visits that the vet has to make unless it is an emergency
- Costs towards any treatment that is needed for behavioural problems.
- Any dental treatment needed.

When checking out any forms of pet insurance online make sure to take the time to read the small print of the policy. The terms is where you are able to find all the limits and exclusions in the policy, these are the things you cannot claim for in the policy. There are always limits to the policy and this is the maximum amount that you are able to claim on the policy. For instance the provider may pay out towards your vet's fees but only up to a certain amount. Also check out how much excess you have to pay out. This is the amount that you have to pay out of your own pocket in a lump sum and then the insurance provider will take over the rest of the claim, up to the maximum amount specified. You do have to pay the minimum amount of excess but there is nothing to stop you from offering to pay more. If you pay more the premiums could work out cheaper but remember that you have to find the money in a lump sum and if claiming more than once you could lose any savings made this way.