Does Pet Insurance Cover Preventative Care?
When it comes to our beloved pets, it’s safe to say that we will take every possible measure to ensure their safety and overall wellbeing - including investing in a comprehensive insurance policy. But, at Compare by Review, we understand that this can sometimes be more confusing than it first seems.
And, in our experience, this arises most prominently when it comes to understanding insurance exclusions. Because, if you’re not aware of them at the point of purchase, then you could face a hefty vet bill later on down the line!
Perhaps the most popular query is whether insurance covers preventative care. So let’s get down to business.
Does pet insurance cover preventative care?
Rather than wait for an illness to strike, preventative care works by ensuring the issue never has a chance to arise. Some common examples are neutering, vaccinations or microchipping - which, as many pet owners know, can be essential.
However, whilst preventative care is something that you’ll most likely want to be covered in your insurance policy, this isn’t always the case. Whether this is covered by your policy will be down to each individual insurer - but it is predominantly included in the more comprehensive policies. So, it’s important that you read all the terms and conditions when selecting the right cover for your pet. If not, you may find yourself facing a bill that you didn’t see coming.
What other exclusions can affect my pet insurance policy?
- Pre-existing conditions
If your pet has a pre-existing condition, then it’s unlikely that an insurer will offer care for any treatment that relates to that specific illness. To avoid any confusion, it’s best to fully consider your policy’s conditions and speak to the insurer directly with any questions or concerns.
We’d also advise pet owners to consider purchasing a lifetime policy while they’re young to avoid these complications later on. But, of course, this is not always possible.
- Age
Sadly, insurance for older animals is often harder to find as they are more likely to need treatment than younger pets. Some insurers will make this clear with a ‘maximum age’ policy that excludes animals that are over the set limit.
- Type of pet & breed
It might seem surprising, especially for first-time pet owners, but whether your pet is a cat or a dog can have an impact on the level of cover they need. (Cats are often cheaper to insure than dogs). Additionally, some breeds can be more vulnerable when it comes to specific conditions - which means the insurance costs can be higher or the insurer might not offer cover at all.
How can I ensure that I choose the best policy for my pet?
At Compare by Review, we encourage all prospective and current pet owners to give the decision-making process the time and consideration it needs. This means taking the time to read the exact conditions of your policy, understand any exclusions and agree to the attached excess fees.
In addition to this level of attention, we would also recommend that all individuals re-adjust their priorities when searching for a policy. Rather than placing sole focus on price, as 1 in 3 people in the UK do when purchasing a pet insurance policy, we advise pet owners to select their policy based on past reviews and customer experience. Because no one is in a better position to offer insight into an insurance policy than those who have already used it!
Have more pet insurance queries? No problem!
Check out our bespoke pet insurance page with all the information you could need.