If you've decided to share your life with a dog or a cat, you may have already seen how high your vet bills can sometimes be. To solve unforeseen events, which can give us more than one scare to the pocket, we have the option of resorting to he alth insurance for animals. Yes, as in the case of people, there are also insurances that can provide us with he alth care for our pets as soon as they need it. In the next article on our site we review the advantages of hiring he alth insurance for dogs and cats and share our tips for choosing the best he alth insurance for animals
Benefits of contracting he alth insurance for dogs and cats
First of all, like any other he alth insurance, those created for animals offer different coverage depending on the amount we want to pay annually. What the insurance will cover are the different expenses derived from veterinary assistance of our dog or cat. These are expenses that, on occasions, become very high, which is why one of the advantages of contracting he alth insurance for animals is to protect our pockets against unforeseen events that can be very large. We may think that our animal will never need this type of service, but the truth is that it is worth reviewing some data:
- 50% of companion animals suffer from some disease during their first year of life These pathologies not only include pharmacological treatment, but, depending on the severity, they may require hospitalization of the animal, fluid therapy treatments, blood transfusions, etc., all with its corresponding cost. With he alth insurance for dogs or cats, we managed to reduce this amount considerably.
- 1 in 3 dogs go to the ER every year. Accidents, fights, falls or intoxications, there are many ailments that may require a visit to the vet outside of normal hours.
- 1 in 4 dogs develop some type of tumor during their lifetime. You have to know that a chemotherapy treatment can reach between 1,000 and 2,000 euros each year.
As you can see, it is easier than you think that your dog or cat may need a considerable financial outlay at some point in their life. He alth insurance for animals, such as Barkibu's Animal He alth Insurance, does not have to be expensive and will save you major headaches.
How much does cat and dog he alth insurance cost?
He alth insurance doesn't have to be expensive. Depending on the one we hire for our animal, we can be talking about 150-200 euros per year. But if you hire it when your dog or cat is still young, the price may even be lower.
We can consider it as an investment that will avoid a scare, in exchange for a fixed amount chosen by ourselves, in case our dog or cat suffers an unforeseen event that raises the vet's bill.
How to choose the best he alth insurance for animals?
If you have decided that you want to take out he alth insurance for your dog or cat, the recommendation is always that you search and compare between several insurers. It is the way in which you can choose the product that most interests you and offers you everything you want at the most competitive price. Also make sure you choose a trustworthy company Take some time, as there are many offers and big differences between them. So that you don't get lost among all of them, keep these basic aspects in mind when choosing the best he alth insurance for dogs or cats:
- How many expenses does it cover each year, since some companies only pay up to 1500 euros or only cover surgeries. Others reach up to 3000 euros per year. In addition, it is necessary to assess whether the coverage they offer is for life or limited to specific periods and, of course, whether or not they allow the free choice of the veterinarian. For example, the Barkibu He alth Insurance allows you to choose the veterinary clinic and covers up to 3,000 euros per year, the highest annual limit in the market.
- The age of the animal that you want to insure, since insurance only covers dogs and cats up to a certain age. We are talking about differences of even more than five years.
- The grace period This period refers to the time that elapses from the day on which the contracted policy is registered and the day on which you can begin to enjoy the insurance coverage. Be careful, because there can be big differences between insurances. In some companies it can be just hours, in case of an accident, or from 14 to 90 days due to illness.
- Pre-existing This term refers to pathologies that the animal already had at the time of contracting the he alth insurance for dogs or cats. For example, there are insurance companies that do not admit dogs or cats with chronic illnesses, that are undergoing treatment or that have just undergone surgery on their policies.
- The detail of the concepts covered, since it is also interesting to see if the he alth insurance for cats or dogs covers congenital diseases or the medication that the animal may need both in the clinic itself and at home. Likewise, we can look for specific coverage that we find interesting for the specific case of our dog or cat according to its characteristics. We are talking about, for example, hip dysplasia, more common in large dogs, chemotherapy, treatments with probiotics or stem cells or specific techniques such as acupuncture or physiotherapy.
After knowing the different advantages of contracting he alth insurance for pets, as well as the details that you must take into account when choosing one or another company, do not hesitate to look for the most appropriate for you and your animal, remember that the long-term savings can be considerable.
