If you are in the market for pet health insurance and are scratching your head over the difference between accident and illness cover, then we have the simple answers to your questions in this pawsome guide.
At Oneplan, we believe in making pet health insurance easy to understand, easy to use and easy to apply. We get that life is complicated, which is why we make sure our pet insurance isn’t.
You shouldn’t have to spend all of your time trying to decode the fine print of your policy (pet insurance contract), instead, you should be out in the garden playing with Bruno or loving your precious Whiskers.
Which is why we have created this expert and simple guide to understanding some of the basics of your pet cover.
Read: Our 1# Pet Claim: Foreign Body Removal & the Costs of Surgery
Your pet health insurance cover
When you are researching pet insurance, you might have realised that there are different types of cover and benefits. Some of these include:
- Vet visits
- Routine care
- Accident cover
- Illness cover
Some pet plans include all of these benefits, such as our Classic Plan and Super Plan. Other plans, like our Pet Hospital Plan, only offer benefits for emergency care. Then there are other terms like limits, waiting periods, exclusions, and pre-existing conditions. It can all be pretty overwhelming, and we get it!
Choosing the right pet insurance means doing a lot of research and understanding exactly what you are covered for, and more importantly, what you are not. So, to make your life easier, let’s start with accident and illness cover…
What is accident cover?
Accidents are the terrible events that you didn’t see coming. If your pet is involved in an accident, such as he or she gets in a fight with another pet or is hit by a car, then you will need to rush them to the vet immediately.
To be considered an accident, it needs to have resulted in an injury (bruises, scrapes and other bodily harm). Accidents do not include issues that have developed over time such as bone issues or sores on your pet’s body.
Accident-only cover
If you are only looking for accident-only cover, then our Accident Plan is a great option! For only R80 per month you will get R8500 cover for accidents every year. Bear in mind that this sort of plan will not include visits to the vet such as check-ups, or routine care.
These costs will come out of our own pocket. Any accident-only pet cover is usually the most basic level of pet health insurance you can get, and as such, it is also the most affordable.
What is illness cover?
An illness is an issue (disease or sickness) that started after your cover began. It is an unexpected disease, sickness or a visible change to your precious pet’s wellbeing. An illness is not caused by an injury to your pet. Examples of an illness include ear infections, stomach issues or ear infections. Keep in mind that illness cover does not include medical expenses that result from you not vaccinating your pet.
Discover: How Much Will Pet Insurance Really Save Me?
Accident and illness cover
At Oneplan, we have 2 affordable plans that cover both accident and illness cover. These are the Hospital Plan and the Primary Plan.
From R190pm, the Hospital Plan covers accident and illness cover up to R38 000 per event. It also covers post-operative care (such as hydro- or physiotherapy) up to R2 150, as well as kennel fees of up to R180 per day (with an annual limit of R1800).
This kennel cover is not for when you go on holiday. This comes into play due to you experiencing an unexpected health event, resulting in you not being able to look after your pet.
Alternatively, if you’re a pet parent looking for both vet visits and hospital cover then our Primary Plan is your best bet. From only R160pm, you’ll get R1 000 per year for vet visits (i.e. those planned check-ups that are not emergency situations), as well as R15 000 for accident and illness cover. This plan includes post-operative care up to R2 000 but does not include kennel cover.
Which plan should I choose?
It can be tricky to know which pet insurance plan to choose. It’s a good idea to look at your budget and the health needs of your pet.
If your pet is very old, then the Accident Plan is a great option as it has no age limit, whereas our other plans have an age limit of 11 years for small dogs & cats, 10 years for medium dogs, and 9 years for large dogs. Bear in mind that this cover is minimal, so it’s better suited to pets that don’t have frequent health issues.
However, if you want more cover (it’s always a good idea to have more cover if you can afford it), then we recommend going for our Hospital or Primary Plans, as these options have more versatile cover with higher benefit limits.
Read next: The Expert Guide to Oneplan’s Pawsome Pet Insurance Plans
A high-risk pet
If your pet’s breed is renowned for having health issues, for example, pugs are known for breathing issues and surgery to correct this can cost R10 000 or more, then you should look into a more comprehensive plan. Take a look at our Classic and Super Plans. Both of these pet plans include cover for accidents and illnesses, as well as cover for vet visits and routine care.
To end off, we should also mention that Oneplan pays you BEFORE you see the vet with our Oneplan Claim Card and App, plus we let you keep your favourite vet with no networks!
If you need any assistance in finding the right pet health insurance for you and your furry bestie, you can get in touch with our friendly service team, and we’ll be happy to help.
Your Pet Insurance Family,
Oneplan
