We dive into the facts of pet insurance cover and find out what you need to know about preventive care

In this blog, we explore the terms and conditions of pet insurance policies and find out what kind of benefits are included and excluded in the case of preventive care.

Choosing the right pet insurance plan

Vaccinations and shots are incredibly vital for the wellbeing of your pet. And whilst some vets will try their best to keep the costs of these services as low as possible, the costs of medications can often come as a financial burden to the majority of pet owners. Some pet insurance policies will not include coverage for vaccinations and annual shots in the more basic of plans, however, in more comprehensive pet insurance plan that typically cost a higher monthly premium, you’ll find benefits that include coverage vaccinations and other day-to-day costs.

As a pet owner, you need to remember that no pet insurance company is alike, which means you need to dedicate some time and effort to find one that suits your requirements.

The same way that health insurance plans for people come with their own range of t’s and c’s, coverage benefits and limitations, pet insurance is no different. Exclusions are typically associated with issues such as pre-existing conditions, genetic conditions and the age of your pet.

However, there are some insurers who offer a comprehensive and high level of coverage for issues such as coverage for the abovementioned conditions as well as benefits for holistic care.

Reading the fine print

As advances in veterinary care continue to take place, the cost of looking after your pet will increase too. Which is why having cover for day-to-day benefits is so often the helping hand you need, without even knowing you need it.

This is why you need to ensure you read the terms and conditions of your pet insurance policy very carefully. It is so often the case that pet owners assume they are covered for a specific event when the reality is quite the opposite.

Choosing a pet insurance plan is not easy. Finding one that best suits your budget and your pet’s healthcare needs can prove to be quite the challenge.

In the case of shots and vaccinations, it’s advised that you find a plan that includes routine care.

What is routine care?

When it comes to pet insurance, having benefits for preventive care included in your plan can save you (and your pet) from a world of stress and financial drama. The reason for this saving grace is that routine care/wellness care/preventive care - or whatever you want to call it - is a surefire way to ensure your pet leads a long, happy and most importantly, healthy life.

The importance of preventive care

Routine care helps promote responsible pet ownership in terms of your pet’s healthcare. When regular vet visits, vaccinations, sterilisation and other medical forms of prevention are included in your pet insurance plan, you are more likely to visit your vet in knowing that you have a helping hand to help cover the bill.

To properly ensure I got the terms of this benefit correct, I reached out to the guys over at Oneplan Pet Insurance for their legal definition of routine care…

With Oneplan, they classify routine care and vet visits as pet health cover. Whereas accidents and illnesses are classified as hospital cover. In the typically quirky and humorous Oneplan way, they described the difference between routine care and vet visits like this…

Vet visits take place when Bruno gets a booboo, routine care visits are a way of keeping Bruno bouncing and bounding through life.

Now, in looking at the legal lingo of the insurer’s policy wording document, here’s what they define routine care as plus what’s included in your cover...

“Routine Care” means preventative care for your cats and dogs and includes, voluntary sterilisation, vaccinations, deworming, flea control, and anal gland expression, dental scaling and polishing and nail clipping.

What kind of plan to choose

Now, in the case of Oneplan, this insurer clearly outlines what the benefits and limits of each of their plans are. Making it easy for any pet insurance seeker to quickly find, select and purchase a pet insurance plan of their choosing.

Oneplan’s Pet Classic and Super plan include cover for Routine Care. Which means that they can help shoulder the costs of vaccinations and annual shots.

They also recently introduced a great add-on product where clients can double their routine care benefits AND waive in-hospital excess fees charged by the insurer for a small additional monthly fee. You can check out how this benefit works here.

Did I mention that Oneplan also puts cash in your pocket, well technically, your Onecard, BEFORE you visit the vet? Here’s a blog to find out how this works.

What it comes down to is choosing an insurer who is upfront with their benefits, limits, exclusions and more importantly, their claiming system.

Until next time,

The Pet Insurance Team