What is Pet Insurance? Pet insurance helps to cover the cost of vet treatment if your pet becomes ill or gets injured. It could help you cover the cost of an unexpected and potentially high vet bill. Pet insurance aims to help customers meet the cost of expensive treatments and provide your pet with the care and support they need. Depending on the type of cover you have, pet insurance can also help to cover: • Dental care • Loss of your pet by theft or straying • Travel cover if you’re taking your pet on holiday with you • Complementary treatments such as hydrotherapy or physiotherapy How much do vet bills cost? We understand your pets are an important part of the family and you want to make sure they have the best care should they become ill or get injured. The main reason for having pet insurance is to ensure your pet is covered for unexpected vet bills. With vet costs continuing to rise, it can sometimes be difficult to cover the cost of treatment. In 2017 the average claim was £757* but claims can run into the thousands if your pet develops an on-going condition. The type of illness or injury will also affect the cost of vet’s fees, with ongoing chronic conditions such as arthritis or diabetes tending to cost much more than a simple infection. With advances in veterinary medicine, along with access to sophisticated treatments, this makes it possible to detect and diagnose illnesses before they arise. These treatments and diagnostics come at a price, leaving some pet owners faced with a difficult decision. For this reason, many pet parents opt to take out insurance, as it provides valuable peace of mind against increasing vet costs, allowing them to explore available treatment options. Types of Pet Insurance When it comes to pet insurance, it is important that you choose a vet fee cover level that offers the cover you and your pet need. We have included some information below about our different cover levels. Lifetime – a Lifetime or Lifelong policy provides annual vet fee cover, where the limit is reinstated at renewal. The policy covers your pet’s vet fees for as long as you need, provided your policy is continually renewed. Maximum Benefit – a maximum benefit policy covers your pet per unrelated condition and is covered until the vet fee limit for each illness or injury is reached. After this, treatment for that illness or injury will be excluded from cover for the rest of the policy’s life. Time Limited – a Time Limited policy covers vet fees up to a limit. Your pet is on cover for a maximum period of 12 months from the date the illness or injury was first noticed or until the vet fee limit for each illness or incident has been reached, whichever occurs sooner. Afterwards treatment for that accident or illness will be excluded from cover for the remainder of the policy’s life. What else do you need to consider? When it comes to pet insurance, there are also a few other things to consider. • Pre-existing conditions – these aren’t usually covered by pet insurance • Breed – depending on the breed of pet you own it could cost you more to insure • Age – the age of your pet will influence the cost of your premium, as older pets cost more to insure after a certain age Dedicated insurance for pet health With over 35 years pet insurance experience and a background in the veterinary profession, we understand the impact that a visit to the vet can bring. Our cover can help to provide you and your pet the support, care, treatment and medication your pet needs. • Vet Fee Cover Limits from £1,000 to £6,000 • Quick and Easy Quotes that allow you to compare cover levels • In-house Pet Expertise to provide you and your pet with the support and care they need • Stress-Free Claims Process that covers your unexpected vet bills** • Lifetime Cover where vet fee cover levels are reinstated when the policy is renewed • UK-based Customer Services Team to help you when you need it the most You can compare pet insurance on our website to find the best policy to suit your individual needs by getting a QUOTE. If you need help please contact our UK-based team on 0345 602 4797 or leave us a message. *Source: ABI data 2018 **See Policy Terms & Conditions for details and exclusions