Well, you can pat yourself on the back for making one of the greatest decisions yet and signing up for pet insurance. Following your moment of self-praise, you should read what’s up next in your new journey.
If you are reading this blog there is a high chance that you have just taken out a pet policy for your four-legged family member. This is a major decision that will revolutionise how you view health and wellness – even for your pets! That being said, figuring out how to navigate an insurance policy can seem tricky – until now.
We plan on helping lead the way forward towards you securing the health and happiness of your fur baby! Let’s go!
Discover: Claiming for a Pet Emergency with Oneplan Pet Insurance (3 Easy Steps)
Figure out your pet insurance waiting periods
When you were reading through your official pet policy, we are pretty sure you came across the wording ‘waiting period.’ If you don’t remember this word, we suggest opening up your policy right now! It is essential that you understand the waiting period associated with your pet policy.
Your waiting periods are the predetermined time frame that is set by your desired pet insurer where no claim is eligible for coverage. Your coverage will therefore only kick in after the allocated waiting period. Keep this time frame in mind before you go and try and claim for certain things!
What factors affect waiting periods?
Certain factors may affect your waiting period, including:
- Certain health conditions of your pet
- The breed of your pet
- Your insurer and policy type
Related: Pet Insurance claiming and waiting periods explained
Get the routine care cover add-on
The reality is that many pet insurers do not include routine cover in their policies. If they do, it is generally saved for their most comprehensive policies. However, regardless of which option you have signed up for, make sure to add in routine cover.
Routine care refers to preventive care and vet visits that help your vet detect and treat any health concerns before they become a more significant issue, and are more expensive to treat.
In general, the basic services included in routine cover are:
- Sterilisation
- Consultations for vaccinations
- Deworming and parasite control
- Tick and flea prevention
- Dental care such as teeth scaling and polishing
Make sure to check that whichever plan you choose includes this type of cover or ask your insurance provider about the possibility of a routine care add-on. With Oneplan Pet Insurance (that’s us), we believe your fur babies should get the best possible care, without it costing you a second mortgage.
That’s why our Classic and Super Plans include routine care cover of R800 and R900 respectively. If you’re on our Primary or Hospital Plans, we give you the option of adding on a Pet Med Booster from only R35 a month which gives you more cover when it comes to routine care. If you really want to maximise your routine care cover, you can also add the Pet Med Booster to the Classic and Super Plans which will double your routine care benefit.
Learn about those exclusions
From the moment you take out pet insurance, it can be incredibly tempting to get every single thing checked out once your waiting period is over. We get it. Booking a number of vet visits is the first thing you’ll want to do; however, before you head over to specialists and book certain check-ups, you need to do one thing!
You need to visit the ‘exclusions’ section of your pet policy. It’s really easy to get caught up in the fantastic benefits your policy offers, but you need to be aware of what will not be covered! Exclusions are typically found in a section titled along the lines of ‘What’s Not Covered’ in your policy document.
Below are a few common pet insurance exclusions:
- Pre-existing conditions.
- Costs incurred for the treatment of obesity and behavioural conditions.
- Participation in any form of racing or dogs used for any form of working such as but not limited to search and rescue dogs, guard dogs, police dogs, custom or quarantine dogs, commercial breeding and laboratory testing.
- Expenses incurred as a result of participation in a sporting activity, from which you earn an income.
- Events that occur outside of the borders of South Africa.
- Cost of treatment for infertility, breeding, mating and pregnancy or conditions arising therefrom.
- Causes as a direct or indirect result of negligence to your pet’s medical needs or health.
Read this: What happens if I don’t pay my pet insurance premium?
Save your pet insurer’s number
This point may seem pretty trivial but is absolutely essential. When you take out pet insurance, it is important to remember that your pet insurer is there to help lead you. That’s why we have exceptional knowledge, insights and contacts that are there to help you improve the health and wellness of your pet.
If you’re with Oneplan Pet Insurance, our telephone number is 010 0010 141, and our WhatsApp line is 083 794 5452.
Lean on us at all times. Whether you need us to explain parts of your pet policy, ask us about their claiming process or general pet care advice, DO IT! We cannot stress how important it is to have a great relationship with your insurer. You should never feel nervous to blow up our phones and ask the same question several times over because you’ve forgotten.
That’s why we also have an in-app chat function that gives you instant access to a pet insurance expert at your fingertips. Whenever you leverage all of their powers to your benefit, you are ultimately ensuring that you are a responsible pet parent.
And you can have peace of mind knowing that your pet is getting access to the very best care around! What more could you want?
Your Pet Insurance Family,
Oneplan
