Pet Insurance – Check Out 10 Key Questions Before You Buy

If your bones and joints are strong and flexible, they move
smoothly. And that means life can be fun, and appreciated fully.
But for one in seven people, movement is restricted by a
musculoskeletal disorder – arthritis, back pain, fracture,
osteoporosis, or sports trauma. Faced with such pain and
discomfort, you may be pleased to pay £3,500 for orthopaedic
surgery or hydrotherapy to get those painful joints flexible
again. But would you be so willing to spend the same money on
your pet Labrador?

Veterinary care has developed fast over the last 10 years and as
pets get older they are increasingly likely to suffer illness
that can be lengthy and expensive to treat. Take diabetes for
example. It’s relatively common in dogs over the age of 6 and
whilst it can be successfully treated, the treatment is ongoing
and expensive – one vet estimated that treatment could cost
around £2,500 per year. Eczema is yet another condition which
can require a long period of treatment.

But as with humans, pets can require emergency treatment at any
time. In fact one in three pets make an unplanned visit to the
vet every year (source Mintel). Labradors and Golden Retrievers
can have conditions such progressive retinal atrophy, Setters
can get canine leucocyte adhesion deficiency (can someone tell
me what that is?!), Alsations are prone to hip dysplasia and
Boxers and Spaniels are susceptible to dodgy hearts. And then
there are always those accidents and scrapes in which our pets
are so likely to become involved. Your puss may have nine lives
but you might have nine vets’ bills! With a series of x-rays
costing £400 and an MRI scan putting you back £1,500 the case
for pet insurance becomes compelling.

Against this background, pet insurance is becoming the fastest
growing form of insurance in the UK. Halifax, Petplan, PDSA,
Petwise, Sainsburys and Marks and Spencers are all names in the
market. Indeed, competition for your business is so fierce there
are over 60 mainline insurers offering over 220 different
policies. This flood of choice makes the job of choosing a
policy somewhat complicated.

So lets try and keep things simple. Pet Plans fall into three
basic groups. The first limits the amount paid per condition;
the second limits the total paid annually; and the third and
usually cheaper, but only suitable for one-off emergencies,
limits the claim to per condition per 12 months. Not too good
for diabetes!

So faced with all this choice what should you look out for?
Here’s 10 key questions to ask:

* Are claims covered annually or on a “per condition” basis?

* If the cover is “per condition”, what is the time limit?

* What is the excess per claim?

* Find out if your breed of pet is susceptible to any hereditary
condition and whether the plan will cover that. For dogs you’ll
find information about hereditary conditions at HREF="http://www.the-kennel-club.org.uk">www.the-kennel-club.org.
uk and for cats try HREF="http://www.petplanet.co.uk/petplanet/breeds/cats-breeds">ww
w.petplanet.co.uk/petplanet/breeds/cats-breeds

* What is the £ limit on vets’ fees?

* Does the insurance plan cover the cost of advertising and
rewards if you pet is lost or stolen?

* If you are in hospital does the insurance cover kennel or
cattery fees? Some plans will payout after the owner has been in
hospital for a minimum number of days.

* Is your dog covered for third party liability? Remember, if
your dog causes damage or injury you personally, could be liable
for damages.

* If you pet has to have urgent surgery shortly before you are
due to go on holiday, will the plan pay your holiday
cancellation costs?

* Does the plan make a payout if your pet dies?

Where can you find this information? Surprisingly, vets are not
always that helpful. They normally carry details of one or two
plans but are rarely up to date with the pet insurance market
generally. Not surprising really with all the developments in
veterinary treatments to keep abreast of!

No, the Internet is the best source of information. Search for
pet, dog or cat insurance and you’ll find all the information
you need. It might take you an hour or so to search out the
answers to the key questions but it will be worth it in the end.