If you want to take advantage of the latest in veterinary technology and medicine, you need to make sure that you insure your pet’s health. By cutting the costs of vet care, insurance companies enable pet owners to affordably meet their pet’s medical needs in the event of an unanticipated injury or illness. This type of protection also extends to yearly vaccinations and other procedures such as deworming. Just be sure to do ample research before getting a pet to find out things like how long do dogs live.

For example, suppose that your vet bill runs around $1,000. That amount sounds quite high if you have to assume the whole cost yourself. However, when you apply an insurance benefit of 80%, you are only responsible for $200. That means you have saved $800 overall. So, as you can see, insuring your pet is not only wise but it also enables you to better care for your pet.

Try Out the Cover First

Plus, some pet policies feature a 21-day period for you to try out the cover. For example, if you decide to cancel your insurance plan after three weeks, you can ask for a full refund of the premium that was paid. As long as you have not yet made a claim, you are given a money-back guarantee. Typically, pet policies today cover 80% of the eligible vet costs. Any excess that applies is subtracted from the amount that you receive as a benefit.

Customising Your Policy

An excess is defined as an amount of the policy owner’s choosing — $0, $100, or $200 — that reduces the benefit amount. The excess is therefore deducted once annually for each non-related condition. So, you can customise your plan to meet with your financial requirements.

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Illness and Accident Protection: The Stipulations

You can take out pet insurance when your dog or cat is eight weeks old or older. If you elect to take out comprehensive and major medical protection, you must enrol before your pet turns nine years old. However, if you enrol in an accident plan, you do not have to be under an upper age limit to take out a policy.

Make Sure You Have Been Accepted Before Making a Claim

Usually, a policy starts at midnight on the day that your application is accepted or the policy’s issue date. Make sure that the policy has been issued before you make a claim. A claim for an unexpected mishap can be put through once a plan goes into effect. However, policy owners must wait 30 days to make a claim that involves a condition or illness.

What Isn’t Covered?

Some of the conditions or items that are not covered by pet cover include elective surgery, pregnancy, or pre-existing conditions. Otherwise, most injuries and illnesses are covered. Congenital and hereditary defects are also included provided that they are diagnosed after you take out a policy.

Once a claim is made, it is normally processed immediately. Payment is either made by cheque or the cash is directed into the enrolee’s nominated account. Claimants generally can use any vet of their choosing as long as the doctor is licenced to practice veterinary medicine in Australia.