You’ve read the article’s title and you might be thinking “but younger pets don’t need pet insurance?” However, despite being young, your new pet not only has their own set of risks, but their own vet bills too!
At Oneplan, we are here to help save you from both the unexpected and expected costs that come with responsible pet ownership for pets of ANY age.
The same way that humans need help affording medical bills in the form of medical aid or health insurance, pets come with their own set of healthcare fees that are not only ongoing (in terms of routine care, check-ups and/or medication for chronic illness), but unexpected costs can land you in a huge amount of debt. Seriously, the financial implications of veterinary care are not something to take lightly.
A check-up at the vet can set you back R350 or more. And that’s not including any medication or additional tests. Emergency pet healthcare can start at R2 000 and quickly skyrocket to tens of thousands of rands.
Cue pet insurance.
Discover: Protecting Man’s Best Friend – The Value of Pet Insurance (Like You’ve Never Seen It Before)
Why get pet insurance
Now, most new pet parents are under the impression that they need to only turn to pet insurance when their pets are sick or older. We all like to think that nothing bad will ever happen to our furry members of the family as long as we look after them, feed them the right food and shower them with love and attention. They should be healthy and happy for their entire lives, right? Sadly, it doesn’t always work out like that.
By purchasing a pet insurance plan, it can help you make the right healthcare decisions for your young new pet without having to be concerned with the costs associated with this expert care. Meaning your pet can receive the care they need when they need it most without you having to dip into your savings, or worse, take out a loan.
The reason for pet insurance for your young new pet
Pre-existing conditions
Far too many new pet parents assume that their young pets do not need medical insurance, seeing as they are healthy and young. With that being the case, why would they need to pay that additional monthly expense? But the thing is, when your pet is young and healthy it is the BEST time to get pet insurance. If something goes wrong before you get pet insurance, your pet then has what is classified as a pre-existing condition. In that case, you will need to abide by a 12-month waiting period before you can claim for any events relating to this specific condition with Oneplan. And with other insurers, they might not cover pre-existing conditions at all.
Unexpected and expensive accidents
Another reason for insuring the health of your younger pet is to save your bank account from the surprise costs of accidents and illnesses. We all know how clumsy, inquisitive and brave younger pets can be, which makes them prone to landing themselves in some troublesome situations.
Your puppy’s first big jump down the stairs could end up with a broken paw.
As a new pet parent, you need to be prepared for anything. One day your pet might be running around happily and healthily, and the next she needs immediate medical attention. If you have the right coverage when something like this happens, you will never have to choose between your bank account and the health of your pet.
Wellness care
Pet insurance can help your pet lead a longer and healthier life with coverage for vet visits and routine care.
With Oneplan pet insurance, we include cover for regular vet visits, routine checkups, blood work, dental cleanings and more! Not to mention, we put money in your pocket BEFORE you see the vet. This is thanks to our smart claims system and transactional Oneplan Claim Card. Before visiting your vet (of your choice), you simply log into the Oneplan App, preload your claim and we will transfer the necessary funds according to your chosen plan straight into your Oneplan Claim Card for you to swipe and pay for the vet visit.
Learn more: Pet Insurance Policy Talk: Vet Visits vs Routine Care
Pet insurance plans best suited to younger pets
When it comes to choosing the right plan for your young new pet, it can be a bit of a daunting process. There are so many plans and benefits available to you, making it hard to narrow it down to just one.
We often suggest that our clients chat with their vet to get an expert opinion on what kind of cover their new pet might need. For example, some breeds are prone to hereditary conditions and might require a more comprehensive plan, whilst others might only require a hospital plan. At the end of the day, the choice comes down to what you can afford and what sort of healthcare coverage your pet needs.
If you are looking for cover that includes more than just benefits for accidents, but illnesses too, then look no further than our Pet Hospital Plan.
Please note: the costs mentioned here are representative of the date that this article was written. For updated pricing, please check our latest plans here.
Pet Hospital Plan
The basics of this plan
From only R190 a month, this plan includes cover for:
- Accidents — up to R38 000
- Illnesses — up to R38 000
- Kennel fees — if something happens to you and you are hospitalised and cannot look after your pet
Learn more: Pet Hospital Plan – Essential cover for unexpected emergencies
Add routine care onto your plan
Now, you might want a little more routine care benefits added onto your plan. Thanks to our Pet Med Booster Benefit, for only R35 extra a month you receive an additional R350 in cover for routine care after a waiting period of 30 days (starting from the date you decide to purchase this additional product).
The great part about this is that the Pet Med Booster automatically includes our Excess Buster which means you can waive hospital excess fees.
If you need any additional assistance with choosing the right plan for your new pet, or if you have any questions about our other plans, feel free to contact our team of experts.
Your Pet Insurance Family,
Oneplan
