Many people believe that pet insurance only covers accidents and emergencies, but there are actually many options out there if you’re looking for pet insurance that covers vet visits.
The first thing you need to know about pet insurance is that your plan and cover will depend on who your insurer is. Each pet insurer has different plans for you to choose from. Some might be hospital cover only and others might include routine care like vet visits and check-ups. So it all comes down to you have decided to choose as your pet insurance provider.
But the simple answer is – YES! Pet Insurance does cover regular vet visits.
To get into more detail about how vet visits are covered in pet insurance, let’s take a look at our personal favourite pet insurer in South Africa, Oneplan Pet Insurance.
Oneplan: Pet Insurance that Covers Vet Visits
If you have pet insurance through Oneplan, they give you the option of 5 different plans.
- Accident Plan
- Primary Plan (includes vet visits)
- Hospital Plan
- Classic Plan (includes vet visits)
- Super Plan (includes vet visits)
Each plan has different cover limits (the amount they pay for a claim) and each one covers a range of events. For the purpose of this article, we will be chatting about their 3 plans that include routine care and vet visits.
Discover: Pet Emergency Care & After-Hours Vet Bills: Does Pet Insurance Cover Them?
How Does Cover for Vet Visits Work?
With Oneplan, vet visit cover is a little bit different from other pet insurers because they pay you BEFORE you see the vet in as little as 1 minute!
How this works is through their pawsome and unique Oneplan Claim Card. The moment you sign your policy, they send you a transactional card which we preload funds onto for vet visits. You then use this card to swipe at your vet’s rooms. All you have to do is login to the Oneplan App, load your claim, and the funds are transferred onto your Oneplan Claim Card within seconds.
The best part is that you can also go to ANY vet of your choice with Oneplan because they do not have a specified network of vets you have to choose from. You can go to any vet you like, whenever you like.
Primary Plan
The Primary Pet Plan starts from R160pm and includes:
Visits to the Vet
You are covered for visits up to R1 000 per annum. These visits include consultations, radiology, blood tests and minor, non-aesthetic dental procedures.
Hospital Cover
Hospital cover includes cover for both accidents and illnesses. On this plan, your pet is covered up to R15 000 per annum.
Post-Operative Care
This includes cover for hydro- and physio therapy after your pet has had a surgical procedure. You are covered up to R2 000 per annum on this plan.
Read this: How to Calm Your Dog at the Vet: 7 Simple Tips
Classic Pet Plan
The Classic Pet Plan starts from R280pm and includes:
Visits to the vet
You are covered up to R5 600 per annum and up to R1 400 per visit. These visits include consultations, radiology, blood tests and minor dental procedures.
Routine care
You have R800 cover per annum. Routine care includes sterilisation, consultations for flea control, vaccinations and deworming, anal gland expression, and teeth scaling and polishing.
Hospital Cover
Hospital cover includes cover for both accidents and illnesses. On this plan, your pet is covered up to R43 000 per event.
Post-Operative Care
This includes cover for hydro- and physio therapy after your pet has had a surgical procedure. You are covered up to R2 150 per annum on this plan.
Kennel fees
If something happens to you and you are hospitalised and unable to look after your pet, Oneplan will pay kennel fees up to R180 per day and up to R1 800 per event.
Pet Super Plan
The Pet Super Plan is basically the Classic Plan levelled up. This plan starts from R430pm and includes:
Visits to the vet
You are covered up to R6 600 per annum and up to R1 650 per visit. These visits include consultations, radiology, blood tests and minor dental procedures.
Routine care
You have R900 cover per annum. Routine care includes sterilisation, consultations for flea control, vaccinations and deworming, anal gland expression, and teeth scaling and polishing.
Hospital Cover
Hospital cover includes cover for both accidents and illnesses. On this plan, your pet is covered up to R58 000 per event.
Post-Operative Care
This includes cover for hydro- and physio therapy after your pet has had a surgical procedure. You are covered up to R5 250 per annum on this plan.
Kennel fees
If something happens to you and you are hospitalised and unable to look after your pet, Oneplan will pay kennel fees up to R200 per day and up to R2 000 per event.
Related: Why Oneplan’s Pet Super Plan is the Top Pet Insurance Plan for Boujee Pets
Is it worth it to have cover for regular vet visits?
Absolutely. Of course, the cover you want will depend on what kind of pet you have. For example, breeds like Pugs and French Bulldogs have issues with breathing because of their short snouts.
This often leads to paw parents of these breeds regularly visiting their vets – in cases such as these, cover for vet visits is essential.
It’s also a good idea to have pet insurance that includes vet visits for when your pet gets older as older pets are more likely to need check-ups and develop issues that need treatment. But the decision is entirely up to you.
