As much as we’d want to avoid it, our pets might get sick, and with soaring costs of veterinary care it is crucial to be prepared.
Investing in pet insurance is one of the ways to do that.
There are numerous options available, and they can cause confusion at first. Typically, there are two types of insurance:
- 12 month insurance – it is cheaper, but if your cat develops a long-term condition, that condition will not be covered after the initial period, even if you renew the policy
- Lifetime insurance / covered for life – more expensive, but any long-term conditions that your cat develops will be covered, as long as you renew
For example, let’s say your cat has an ear infection. With 12 month insurance, the company will cover it during year 1. If you renew and your cat gets it again in year 2, the likelihood is that it wouldn’t be covered, as a preexisting condition.
If you had lifetime insurance, the same condition would be covered in year 1 and year 2, and beyond (as long as you renew the policy).
An ear infection might not sound like a big deal, especially if caught early, but let’s imagine your cat ends up with something like diabetes – they’ll need medication for the rest of their life, and a lifetime insurance would cover it for years to come. 12 month insurance would only pay during the initial period, and diabetes would become a “preexisting condition” the following year.
This brings us to preexisting conditions – these are any conditions that your cat developed before insurance had started. We never experienced it ourselves, but there are many stories on the internet of people complaining that, because their pet had a mild illness (let’s say a urinary tract infection, which isn’t uncommon), the company would refuse to cover anything kidney-related afterwards. You don’t want to put yourself and your cat in that situation.
Another thing to note is that typically, when you get a new policy, there’s a two week period at the beginning during which the company won’t cover any new illness (it’ll become a preexisting condition). Accidents will be covered, but not illness. That is to prevent people from getting insurance when they notice their pet is unwell.
We give kitten owners a free 4-week insurance when they pick up their little one. A massive upside is that, in the unlikely event the kitten gets sick, the 2-week waiting period won’t apply.
Another issue to mention is policy limits. I usually say that anything under £6-7k isn’t very useful. A check up + blood tests + antibiotics can easily set you back by £200 if not more, while hospitalisation with fluids can costs a few hundred pounds as well. A £2k policy will run out very, very quickly, and frankly it’s just not worth it.
Bottom line is – unless you have enough savings, make sure to get a lifetime insurance that covers £6-7k of vet fees minimum.
So, how do you make a claim? It’s very easy, and often can be done online. Most commonly, you will pay the vets and claim the money back from the insurance company afterwards. Alternatively (not all vets have this in place) there is an option for the insurance company to pay the vets directly, but you’d have to ask your vet practice about it first.
If your cat develops a new condition, it’s likely that excess will apply. It is a certain amount of money that insurance won’t give back. Let’s say the excess is £100. If you make a claim for £500, the insurance company will pay you the amount less the excess, so £400. If you then make another claim for the same condition during the policy year, you won’t pay excess again.
Good luck and as always, feel free to message or e-mail with any questions, we are happy to help!
EsteLuna British Cats 