Categories of Insurance Policies for Pets

There are two categories of insurance policies for pets, non-lifetime and lifetime. The first covers buyers for most conditions suffered by their pet during the course of a policy year but on renewal in a following year a condition that has been claimed for will be excluded. If that condition needs further treatment the pet owner will have to pay for that himself.

The second category covers a pet for ongoing conditions for the pet’s lifetime so that if a condition is claimed for in the first year it will not be excluded in the second of subsequent years. However, even lifetime policies do have limits. Some have limits “per condition”, others have limits “per condition, per year” and others have limits “per year”. They all have different implications for a pet owner whose pet needs treatment year after year so it is wise to be clear which type of lifetime policy you are considering. 12:02, 20 May 2009 (UTC))

In addition, companies often limit coverage for pre-existing conditions in order to eliminate fraudulent consumers, thus giving owners an incentive to insure even very young animals who are not expected to incur high veterinary costs while they are still healthy. There is usually a short period after you buy a pet insurance policy when you will be unable to claim for sickness, often no more than 14 days from inception. This is to cover situations where an illness has been contracted before your pet went on cover but where it only manifests itself after the insurance cover has started. 12:00, 20 May 2009 (UTC))

Some insurers offer options not directly related to pet health, including covering boarding costs for animals whose owners are hospitalized, or costs (such as rewards or posters) associated with retrieving lost animals. Some policies also include travel cancellation coverage if owners must remain with pets who need urgent treatment or are dying.

Some UK policies for dogs also include third party liability insurance. Thus, for example, if a dog causes a car accident that damages a vehicle, the insurer will pay to rectify the damage for which the owner is responsible under the Animals Act 1971.

Article source: Wikipedia