Plan to insure your pet

PLAN TO INSURE YOUR PET

Have you ensured your pet? I’ve written about pet insurance before, asking for your experiences and asking pet insurance companies to come forward and explain their services to us. I’m pleased that Pet Plan has taken us up on this and have answered my questions on insuring our pet’s health and future.

Have you planned for your pet?

How do Aussie pet owners compare with the rest of the world in their uptake of pet insurance? What percentage of pet owners have pet insurance? Is it the more dedicated pet owners?
Aussie pet owners compare well to other countries based on pet insurance purchase. As it is only sort of a new thing say compared to the UK Petplan who have been doing it for 40 years, Australia is still in the early stages of making pet insurance a necessity of responsible pet ownership and not a luxury. Petplan believe this and strive to deliver the best coverage and what’s best for both human and pet.

What excuses do people use to not take out pet insurance?

Many people believe it is a better option to not pay for pet insurance monthly as it is a waste of money and that they would be better depositing that money into a ‘savings’ account where it will accumulate and they can use that to pay for surgeries. However, if an injury/illness happens early on there will not be enough saved up and if the problem is re-occurring or provides numerous treatments then a savings account is almost useless. Cost too much, but then when those large unexpected vet bills come for tens of thousands they rethink their decision.

Do you have any examples of when people have wished they had pet insurance?

I have read a story based on a customer that didn’t have pet insurance for their dog and had a surgery costing $10,000+. They then got pet insurance for their second dog as this was a shock for the owners. As we say it is really only until you receive one of those large, unexpected bills that you realize the true value of pet insurance.

Do more cat or dog owners take out pet insurance?

There are more dog owners who have pet insurance. As some cat owners, especially owners of indoor cats believe it is not worth it based on the risk of the cat getting injured.

Is there insurance for other pets?

We currently offer insurance for dogs, cats & horses as well as a Petplan professional insurance which covers businesses (petshops, breeders etc…)

What would be the most common procedures that people claim for?

• Digestive conditions/Diarrhoea
• Foreign body (intestinal)
• Dermatitis/skin allergies
• Otitis/ear infection
• Tumours/growths
• Ruptured cruciate ligament

What would be the most unusual procedure that someone has claimed? Or has been reimbursed for?

We do get a few claims on our third party liability for dogs, which Petplan are the only to offer this. We pay millions to customers that claim successfully with this inclusion in their policy.

Is top cover worth it?

Top Cover is worth it as it is the most overall comprehensive coverage and will keep the customer happy, knowing that their pets illness/injury will be covered For Life. This is especially helpful if your pet has a continuous condition that needs to be treated regularly as the coverage amount spent on vets restarts each new policy year. Yes, with the rise of vet fees the more veterinary cover amount you have the better off you are.

What is the difference between your insurance company and others? (so many people say they all sound the same)

Petplan aims to cover a more comprehensive area of illness/injuries and will upfront tell the customer what is excluded from their policy (other company’s only tell the customer after a claim has been submitted). Petplan offer to cover a lot more than what our competitors do. Unlike our competitors we have a 21 day waiting period rather than 30. Our Covered for life plan where we cover an illness or accident for the rest of the pet’s life rather than just the 12 months.

Thanks to PetPlan executive Travis Atkinson for answering our questions.

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