Pet Insurance Explained Helping You Through The Pet Insurance Maze Pet Insurance Caveat Emptor

By Chris Fairfax, Legal Director, Animal Friends InsuranceYou could have a hard job to ensure that you are getting what you think and that you dont fall foul of the small print when you come to make a claim. In this article I will help you steer through the Pet Insurance maze so you will at least know what to look for and what pitfalls to avoid.The cost of Pet CareAnd what happens if your pet is diagnosed with an ongoing illness, such as arthritis or diabetes? You may have many years to provide medical care for your pet once again totalling thousands of pounds in medicines and vet fees.OK, you say, its your job to sell pet insurance. Wouldnt it be cheaper for me to put some money away each month to cover the cost of any vets fees that I may have to pay?What if your dog bites someone or causes a traffic accident? Simple, you may be personally liable to pay the injured party damages. Such a claim may cost you your house as damages for personal injury can run into hundreds of thousands of pounds even millions! With pet insurance you have Third Party liability cover which would protect you and your home in such a case. Seems worth it now doesnt it?The cost of covering you and your pet can be minimal as little as around 5 per month for cat insurance and 8 per month for dog insurance. But much will depend on the extent of the pet insurance cover you want. Ill give you some pointers so you can ask the right questions and make sure you buy the right cover at the right price!(1) Do you want full lifetime cover for your pet? If your pet was diagnosed with an ongoing illness like diabetes or arthritis that needed treatment for several years only lifetime cover would pay for it. Beware! Insurers offer all sots of cover here is what you will find:-(c) Other policies offer a fixed amount (e.g. 5,000) per condition however this will not cover every year. Again using my example, this would not cover heart condition medication for the rest of the dogs life as the treatments over 10 years.
(d) Genuine lifetime cover will offer a fixed amount (e.g. 4,000) per condition, per year. So, in my example, the owner would have 10 years worth of 4000 a year (i.e. 40,000) to cover the heart condition treatment; any other conditions would have the same levels of cover.(3) If you want to insure an older pet for the first time will the pet insurer take you on? Dont worry, there are companies who will.(5) If you make a claim will your premiums automatically go up?(7) Can you spread you premium over 12 months with interest free direct debits?Bear these questions in mind and you should find insurance to fit your needs at a price you can easily afford.