Medical Insurance for Elderly Pets

As your pet grows older, just like human beings, health issues will begin to creep in, and you will find that the medical expenses are rising at a fast rate. Due to this fact, you need to make some financial provision for covering the medical expenses for elderly pets. A pet insurance policy is something that can come in handy in such a scenario, but there are a few things that need to be kept in mind, which we shall discuss here.

Start Early, Pay Less

As with people, it is always a good idea to take out a pet insurance policy when your pet is younger. Although you may not need to make a claim while your pet is still young, you will end up in paying considerably less premiums than if you were to buy an insurance policy when your pet is older and in not so good health. Many insurers will not provide an insurance policy for pets that are over seven or eight years old.

Age Limits and other Provisions

You need to be very through in reading the fine print of your pet insurance policy. One important thing to look for is the maximum age accepted by the insurance provider. Many insurers will have a maximum age of the pet, after which they will simply not provide coverage and will cancel the policy. You would also do well to check the other provisions such as cover provided for vet bills, and percentage coverage for medical bills, with particular reference to the percentage that you will end up paying in the event of a claim.

To Switch or not to Switch

When you find that you are shelling out considerably more for medical insurance for your elderly pet and ostensibly getting nothing in return, you may be tempted to switch to another insurer. However, before taking such drastic action, be aware of terms and conditions of other insurance providers regarding pre-existing conditions. Many new providers may not be ready to cover your pet if there are already some existing medical issues, which may be covered by your existing provider. You stand a better chance to get a better deal from a new insurer if your elderly pet is in good health.

Fresh Insurance

If you did not previously have a medical insurance policy for your pet, you will find it difficult to get one for your elderly pet. As mentioned earlier, many insurers do not provide medical insurance beyond the age of seven or eight years of age. Those that do provide it are likely to charge very high premiums. There are two types of medical insurance that you can get for your elderly pet:

In both types of insurance, be careful to study the terms and conditions, to be able to assess the financial benefit that you could get in the event of a claim, and under what circumstances a claim can be made. This varies from one insurance company to another, so you would typically have to shop around a bit, to get the best deal.

Some Prominent Insurers for Elderly Pets in the UK

The bottom-line here is that medical insurance for elderly pets, like that for elderly people is expensive, and is riddled with clauses and sub-clauses that need to be considered, but it IS available, and some benefit can be enjoyed, with the right choice of medical insurance policy.