Pet insurance is always a good idea and here are three tips to make sure it’s a great one

Getting pet insurance for your pet is one of the best decisions you can make for both you and your pet. Just like we insure all of the valuable assets in our lives, pet insurance covers and protects you from scarily expensive unexpected costs. For a monthly premium, your insurer will make sure that when the thing happens that we hope will never happen, you have the best options at your fingertips. Of course, there are always the savvy among us who want to make sure we are getting the most out of our money (myself included) which is why I’ve decided to talk about the three ways you can use pet insurance to your advantage!

1. Make sure your vet knows about your pet insurance coverage

Honesty will get you the most out of your policy!

Vets know that the prices of their treatments make people cringe - and I know that the job of giving their clients the bill is not one they look forward to. Your vet will (or should) always provide you with the best possible options, but they never want to put you in the position where you can see the glimmer of hope but you simply cannot afford it.

Talking with your vet about your policy and what is covered and what isn’t is going to benefit both of you. Your vet will be able to go ahead with the best treatment options and you will have peace of mind knowing they are doing everything within your budget to help your fur-baby.

2. Pay upfront with your credit card

The main goal of pet insurance is obviously to stay as far away from your bank account as possible. With the majority of insurance brokers, their protocol will require that you pay the cost of treatment upfront and then the reimbursement comes straight to you! So if your credit card has enough funds on it, you can use your credit card to pay the bill and wait for your insurance to put the cashback in the bank. Your insurer should reimburse you before the credit card bill is payable, so you’ll be able to receive the full benefits of your insurance policy.

Or, you could look into an insurance company called Oneplan. They do insurance a little differently and I get so excited about it! Instead of you paying the bill and waiting for reimbursement, Oneplan pays YOU before you see the vet. This means that you’ll never worry about finding funds at the last minute or maxing out your credit card. How this works is through the fantastic combination of their Onecard and Oneplan App. When you are a part of the Oneplan family, all you need to do is load your funds onto your card via the app. They have written a great breakdown on exactly how that works here.

Whilst we’re chatting about Oneplan and vets, it’s worth mentioning that you get to keep or choose your vet which really does make all the difference.

3. Make sure you choose the right policy

No insurance policy is made the same - and this becomes even truer when we think about the plethora of insurance companies that are working for your attention. Do you need routine care? Do you only need accident and illness cover? Are you trying to avoid waiting periods? These are some of the things you need to know before signing on the dotted line.

A lot of insurance policies have exclusions and waiting periods that are geared towards pets of a certain age and breed. Some policies may exclude knee injuries or hip dysplasia which are common in German Shepherds - so if you own an Alsatian that would be something you’d want to know. Do you know who a great person to speak to would be? Your vet! Your vet can highlight any health risks that apply to your pet and you can keep them in mind when reading (thoroughly) through your insurance policy. If you’re interested, pop over and have a read about the five small dog breeds with the highest medical bills. 

If you want to know more about how to choose the best insurance plan for your pet, the Oneplan team has the best tips and tricks in this blog.

Getting the most out of your insurance doesn’t have to be tricky - it just takes a few smart moves and a little extra effort! Keep an eye out for more hot pet insurance tips.

Until next time,

The Pet Insurance Team