For most things in life, insurance can be a tricky maze to navigate. With a plethora of options often available, it can be hard to know what type of cover will best suit your personal circumstances.
Cat insurance is not immune to this puzzle of choices. To help guide you towards the optimal insurance policy for your needs, we’ve created this simple guide. After all, when it comes to the feline in your life, you want to make sure you’ve got their health covered as best as possible by enlisting the best cat insurance in Australia cover available.
Accidental injuries and illnesses
To begin with, all pet insurance policies are designed to cover those injuries and illnesses our beloved furry friends may encounter in their lifetime. However, each policy offers a different level of cover, which is why it’s worth understanding what’s included and what’s not.
Most pet insurance providers offer three levels of cover ranging from the most basic to the most comprehensive.
- The essentials. With annual benefit limits and a high proportion of eligible vet bills covered, this policy typically covers a range of health issues:
- Items usually covered: skin conditions and allergies, ear and eye conditions, gastrointestinal problems, limited treatment of tick paralysis, specialist care, laboratory and diagnostic tests, hospitalisations, radiology, prescription medicine and drugs, surgery, hereditary and congenital conditions, emergency boarding up to a predetermined limit, and overseas pet travel.
- Items not covered: cancer treatment, veterinary consultations and visits, cruciate ligament conditions, routine care, pre-existing conditions.
- Standard cover. This level of policy covers all of the above items, along with some additional extras:
- Items covered: cancer treatment, treatment for tick paralysis, veterinary consultations and visits, cruciate ligament conditions, and emergency boarding.
- Items not covered: routine care and pre-existing conditions.
- Comprehensive cover. With the addition of routine care cover, this cat insurance policy generally involves the following inclusions and exclusions:
- Items covered: those included in pet essentials and comprehensive cover, with the addition of routine care and higher limits for treatment for tick paralysis.
- Items not covered: pre-existing conditions.
Vaccinations, deworming, and other routine care
Routine care cover is a beneficial addition to cat insurance, often reserved for the highest level of cover. This extra option covers common treatments and one-off procedures such as microchipping, teeth cleaning, de-sexing, behavioural therapy and dog training.
Choosing this level of policy also grants you annual benefits for vaccinations, health checks, heart worm tests, blood screens, flea/tick/work control, and urinalysis.
Pre-existing conditions
It’s important to note that pet insurance providers do not cover treatment for any pre-existing conditions (that is, any temporary or permanent injury or illness). In other words, if your cat has displayed symptoms before you take out insurance or during the waiting period, the cover you receive will pertain to future treatments not related to the pre-existing condition.
Customised plans
Still unsure which policy level is right for you? Some insurance providers offer customised plans. This allows you to work out what you may or may not need based on factors such as your budget, as well as your cat’s age and current health condition. A customised plan is an ideal way to ensure you and your four-legged friend are entitled to the right pet insurance policy for your unique circumstances.