Pet Insurance

For many of us, our dogs and cats are family members, and it can be distressing if they become unwell or injure themselves.

It’s always sensible to have a plan in place should your pet require unanticipated treatment. One option is pet insurance which can offer a potential solution, but your vet is always here to help you no matter what your situation.

An insurance policy is a contract between you and your insurance company (not your practice), and there are many different types of policy out there.  

It’s best to do your homework and always read the smallprint, so that you can make sure the policy is right for you and your pet before you commit! 

If you shop around every year for insurance, remember that most conditions your pet already has will be excluded. 

Insurance companies usually provide various policy types.  

The main types of insurance policy are:  

• Accident only – Just covers accidents! 

• Time-limited – Provides cover for a set period of time (often 12 months), after which the condition is excluded. 

• Maximum benefit – Covers a maximum amount per condition, and after the limit is reached the condition is excluded. These are often classed under lifetime, so be careful. 

• Lifetime – A set amount of money is usually reset annually each time you renew your policy, allowing you to keep claiming for ongoing conditions. 

Unlike home or car insurance, you should think about your pet’s whole life when insuring them, not just the upcoming year. You should ideally try and choose a policy where the price doesn’t increase with each claim. 

A few things to consider when picking an insurance policy 

• Will the policy cover everything your pet might need their whole life? 

• Does the company increase the premium every time you claim? Most do, so check the small print, as it may become very expensive if your pet has several conditions. 

• What excess will you have to pay when claiming, per policy year, per condition or both, and will this stay the same? Most increase or have a percentage added as the pet ages. 

• Will any pre-existing conditions, injuries or illnesses be covered? 

• Will a policy with an initially cheaper premium prove more expensive in the long run? 

• Will the policy cover any additional things your pet might need? 

• Routine dental work is rarely covered, so it’s worth checking this. Some policies don’t even include lumps or conditions of the mouth. 

How do you actually make an insurance claim? 

We ask clients to please be clear what you have signed up for and the ongoing implications:

• 12 month cover, (cover limited to condition for 12 months max)
• maximum benefit cover (cover limited to a maximum amount)
• lifetime cover ( cover for a specified amount renewable each year for life)

Every practice is different, but as a rule… 

• Some insurance policies allow you to make a pre-authorisation claim to check that your insurance provider will pay for a particular treatment before your pet has it. This is usually done for treatments costing over £1000, and you’ll have to check if your insurance company offers this.  

• All insurance companies have different processes, but claims are most commonly submitted through their website or online portal. 

• You will usually need to contact your insurance company first to authorise your practice to submit a claim for you, and there may be some paperwork for you to complete. 

• Your practice will let you know how long it will take them to process a claim, and you can contact your insurance company directly if you have any further questions or queries.   

• Many practices charge an administrative fee for processing your claim, so check what this is so you are prepared. 

Direct claims 

• This is where an insurance company reimburses the practice directly. Some practices offer this for some insurance companies but not others, so it’s worth checking beforehand. 

• Some practices offer direct claims in emergencies, but you may need pre-authorisation, enough notice and the right paperwork to do this.  

Indirect claims 

• Your insurer can reimburse you for an indirect claim, meaning that you need to pay your practice the full invoice amount before your claim can be processed. 

• You can check with your practice what information they need from you when making a claim with them, and your insurer might need you to submit a claim online.  

Excess and limits 

• An excess is the amount you pay before your insurance company picks up the claim. 

• A percentage excess is an additional payment made towards claims for animals over a certain age, usually between 10% to 20% of the bill, and can be normal for some policies. You can check with your insurance company if this applies to you and your policy, and how much you would need to pay.  

• The excess you pay will depend on your insurance company, but you usually pay an excess per condition, per policy, per year. 

• Your insurance company will also be able to tell you how long you have to make a claim, but some insurers require you to claim within 30 days of treatment.  

For further advice and support on the right type of pet insurance policy for you and your pet, please speak to one of our team.