Cat Health Insurance

Coverage of Pet Insurance

There are a number of reasons to take out a pet health insurance policy but the end result is the same. If anything happens to your pet you want to be reimbursed by the insurance company for any expense you have incurred looking after your pet.

The following advice is aimed at cat owners but applies equally to dog owners too.

There are different pet insurance policies on the market today and most offer the same basic terms and cover. Let's list these now for you to see.

1. Pet Health Cover. Perhaps the main reason why owners take out pet insurance is to cover the vet bills if their pet suddenly becomes ill.

A vet's bill can quickly add up and if any illness requires surgery then this can run into the thousands. Be careful to ensure that your pet policy covers the illnesses you want it to cover, many will only offer to reimburse you for the illnesses they define.

As it is cheaper for the insurance companies to keep your cat healthy some companies will pay towards regular check ups and vaccinations.

So pet health insurance is the number one reason for buying policies, but there are others.

2. To recover expenses that were raised in trying to find a missing pet. If your pet is lost or stolen then any efforts by you to recover your pet may well be covered by your pet policy.

Such expenses could be photocopying costs making missing leaflets, paying distributors to hand them out, even a local radio station message could be covered with the right pet insurance policy.

Again insurance companies will vary in what they will reimburse. Some may even pay for the offer of a reward for finding the missing pet. Ensure you are happy with what they are offering before taking out any pet insurance policy.

3. Pet insurance policies can cover funeral costs, be that burial or cremation.

4. If you expect to be, or would like to be covered in case you are incapacitated and cannot care for your pet then look for policies that will pay for boarding costs for the time you are out of action.

5. Liability insurance covers the damage that your cat may do to others property. For example if a car swerves to avoid your pet and knocks over a fence post, this pet policy will cover the damages to the post and the car.

Pet Health Insurance - small print that may catch you out

First Occurrence

A lot of pet insurance companies issue policies that will pay out only on the first occurrence of an illness.

So for example if your pet develops cataracts then the policy will pay out for the first treatment only.

Any reoccurrnece or any illness associated with caracts will not be covered from that point on. All bills will have to be met in full by the owner. Illnesses not assicoated with caracts will still be covered.

Excess

Be sure you check the policies excess level. This is the amount will have to pay on every claim.

If the treatment costs £1000 and the excess is £100 then you will have to pay the first £100 and the insurance company will pay the other £900. Excess amounts vary by company and you may even be able to negotiate a different level on your current policy, note that any variation will probably mean an adjustment to your premium payments.

Exclusion

Be mindful of automatic exclusions for certain breeds. If your cat's breed has been susceptible to a particular illness then it is likely that your pet's insurance will exclude this illness from the coverage.

Exclusions will also apply to any illness for which your cat has been receiving treatment.

Age Limit

Most companies have an age limit on the pets they will take on. For cats this can be anywhere from 8 to 10 years old. After this they believe the animal will require too much care.

If you have a cat approaching this age the it is wise to get a pet health insurance policy out on it now as companies do not tend to decline renewals as they would a new application.

The worst that is likely to happen will be an increase in your premiums as your cat ages.

Other Gotchas

Many pet health insurance policies will have a cap on the amount they will pay out in one year, or for one particular ailment.

Others have a timeframe in which they will pay out. For example they may only pay out for a six week period, after which you will have to meet all ongoing costs for your pet's care.

Some may require you to pay a percentage of the vet costs on top of your excess payments.

Like other types of insurance you may find your premiums go up if you make a claim. Try and find out if this is the case to avoid any renewal surprises.

In view of all these shortcomings of pet health insurance policies, make sure you get to see a full copy of your pet's insurance policy preferably before you buy it. If you can't, then read it as soon as it arrives after you have purchased it.

If anything does not meet your requirements then simply cancel the policy. Note that you may have a small time window to get this done.