What is Pet Insurance?
Pet insurance is a form of insurance that pays, partly or in total, for veterinary treatment of the insured person’s ill or injured pet. Some policies will pay out when the pet dies, or if the pet is lost or stolen.
What Is The Best Pet Insurance In South Africa?
1. Dotsure
Dotsure is one of the best pet insurance in South Africa. The company’s main focus is getting your pet the best insurance. Moreover, Dotsure has pet insurance for cats, dogs, birds, and reptiles.
They currently are voted as the number one pet insurer on HelloPeter. In addition, Dotsure feeds a sheltered animal for every policy that’s bought.
2. MediPet
MediPet offers pet insurance to help pet owners in case of accidents or illness. Furthermore, they have coverage options to suit every budget. This has been one of the leading pet insurance brokers in the country.
In addition, MediPet is one of the few vets-recommended insurers. They offer chronic care support for special needs pets. Furthermore, hereditary and congenital conditions are covered.
3. Outsurance
Outsurance is one of the leading insurance companies in the country. Furthermore, they offer some excellent pet insurance coverage. They do, however, only limit this cover to cats and dogs.
How does pet insurance work?
Pet insurance is a pretty simple service that insurance companies offer. Firstly, the pet owner will choose a cover that best suits their budget. Thereafter, they will need to pay a monthly bill for the service. This month-to-month agreement can be changed at any time.
If your pet falls sick you can then submit a claim to your insurance provider. They will then review the claim. The pet owner will then receive the funds if it is covered by the plan. Additionally, the insurance company may directly settle the bill with the vet.
It’s important to note that most insurance companies will require an excess to be paid. The excess amount will be determined by the insurance. However, this can be a small percentage of the actual claim.
Pet insurance does not cover any pre-existing conditions that your pet may have. Furthermore, pet insurance is similar to vehicle and house insurance. This means that pet owners cannot repetitively submit claims.
Pet owners are often under the misconception that pet insurance works similarly to medical aid. This is not the case. Pet insurance is only used to provide financial assistance in unforeseen circumstances.
What is the most popular pet in South Africa?
Dogs
Dogs are the most popular pets among South Africans, with 81% of all pet owners (equivalent to 36% of all adults) having dogs.