Pet Health Care Insurance

Pet health care insurance, simply referred to as “pet insurance” in the UK, is provided by many different companies. There are over fourteen main pet insurance companies in the UK, either dedicated specifically to pet insurance or as part of a larger company.

Choosing the right insurance is down to balancing cover with the premiums charged. Buyers should not only look at what areas are covered, but how they are covered. Providers can cut costs by limiting the frequency or length of cover, particularly with vet bills, and exclude areas of treatment others such as vaccinations, routine examinations, and preventative treatment. Excess fees can also vary from policy to policy, and it is always important to read the small print. If a policy doesn’t explicitly state that an area is covered (for example, cover does not always include vet bills for disease) then assume it isn’t.

Conditions also apply to many policies in terms of the age of the pet and actions that must be performed for pets to qualify for cover. Some travel insurance options for pets require the pet to be “micro-chipped” for example, while others will not take pets older than 8-10 years. It’s worth bearing in mind that while options for advertising and reward money for a lost pet may sound good, they don’t make up for a lack of comprehensive cover on vet’s fees and third party liability.

It is worth shopping around for pet health care insurance, and taking the time to compare three or more different policies to see the advantages and disadvantages of each.