How Oneplan fronts you with cash for pet hospital admission deposits – giving you peace of mind in emergency situations.
As any pet parent knows, if you love your pet, you will do whatever it takes to save their life. For many of us, we might spend more on our pet’s healthcare than our own. From the regular check-ups, wellness care and of course, the more unexpected and expensive vet bills associated with accidents and illness. All of which can and will quickly start to add up in the grand scheme of things.
So, what happens when something goes wrong, and your precious pet needs to be admitted into hospital? Do you have the cash to pay for the deposit upfront?
The cost of hospital admissions
Having your pet admitted into hospital is a scary and often stressful experience. Not only are you incredibly concerned for the health and wellbeing of your pet, but the financial stress of overnight vet stays and surgery can also add an additional layer of worry. The cost of pet healthcare closely rivals our own.
Fixing a broken leg, for example, can cost as much as R15 000. If your dog escapes your garden and is hit by a car, it can cost up to R40 000 for life-saving surgery and any additional treatments that might be required. The treatment of wounds can cost between R4 000 and R5 000. If Fluffy swallows something he shouldn’t have (stealing the chicken sosatie off the braai and swallowing the whole thing, skewer and all), the surgical costs of foreign body removal (one of the most common pet insurance claims) can start at R12 000 and go as high as R20 000 or more.
Because of these costs, many pet parents are forced to opt for euthanasia as they cannot afford such expensive treatments. And in other cases, pet parents might even take out a loan or max their credit card to see their pet in good health once again.
The cost of the deposit
In most cases a veterinary clinic, specialist centre or pet hospital will charge a 50% deposit fee payable by you before your pet is admitted. The balance is then due on collection. This means that you will be faced with a bill amounting to thousands of rands before your pet can be treated. The chances of anyone having this sort of cash in their back pocket are highly unlikely.
To better prepare for the unexpected and eliminate the unnecessary financial stress associated with vet bills and hospital admissions, Oneplan Pet Insurance has created a simple and easy claims system for clients with a Oneplan Claim Card. And here’s where it gets better – They can pay your vet directly if your vet gives them consent to do so, which can help alleviate any extra stress you might experience.
The average cost of pet insurance hospital claims
There are a number of variables to take into account when it comes to calculating the average cost of our pet hospital claims, such as the vet’s practice (different practices charge different fees for treatments), treatment given and the level of treatment required.
Taking all of this into consideration, the average cost of a hospital admission claim can vary from an estimated R3 000 (with basic treatment involved) and go as high as R30 000. This brings our average to a shocking R9 000 for hospital admission claims! Having to pay a 50% deposit of this would be R4 500 – that’s a lot of money.
The Oneplan Difference
If there’s one thing to know about Oneplan, it’s that they do everything they can to make your life just a little easier. They get that life is complicated, which is why they strive to ensure their insurance is easy to understand, easy to apply, and easy to use.
Related: 10 Helpful Tips on How to Choose Pet Insurance
Their Oneplan Claim Card is an example of their standard of care for their clients and their pets.
If you have purchased a Oneplan pet insurance plan with vet visits and routine care included as benefits in your plan, they will send you your own Oneplan Claim Card to front you with cash before you see the vet.
A Oneplan Claim Card works in the same way as a transactional debit card. Before your vet visit, simply log into the Oneplan app and preload your claim. They will then transfer money onto your Oneplan Claim Card according to the limit you have available. You can then swipe your Oneplan Claim Card and pay for the visit up front at your vet’s office.
How to claim for pet emergencies and hospital admissions
So, what happens when you need help paying for the deposit required with your pet’s hospital admission? Thanks to their unique Oneplan Claim Card, they can preload your card with up to R5 000 for pet hospital deposits when your pet is admitted into hospital. ***Subject to claim pre-approval and required information submitted.
Here’s how this works:
If your waiting period of 30 days for vet visits is over (30 days from the inception date of your policy), then to help you afford a deposit for hospital admissions, you can claim for a vet visit.
Once they have approved your claim for your pet hospital visit, they will already know that your vet visit amount was for hospital admission and they will classify it as emergency care. Meaning you will not lose out on any claim amounts for vet visits.
