Let’s get down to the terms and conditions of pet insurance when it comes to dog medicine. For the purpose of this article, we will be looking at Oneplan Pet Insurance – the pet insurance we always recommend, because it’s built by people who truly love pets!
Age Limits
You need to keep in mind that with every pet insurer, there will be an age limit for your dog. With Oneplan, your dog must be older than 8 weeks and younger than 9 years old (large dog breeds), 10 years old (medium breeds), or 11 years old (small breeds).
So, if you are thinking about getting pet insurance for your older dog and he or she is younger than 9 years of age, then we recommend you go for it! The sooner the better.
Remember, the older your dog gets, the more he or she is likely to visit the vet. Just as humans tend to suffer from more ailments and weaker immune systems the older we get, the same thinking applies to dogs.
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Dog Medicine and Pet Insurance
Whether or not your pet insurance will cover the medication for your older dog will depend on a number of different things. We discuss these below…
The plan you choose
Oneplan offers you 5 different plans to choose from. Each one has its own benefits and cover limits (the maximum amount they will pay in the event of a claim). Let’s look at these plans briefly:
Pet Accident Plan
R80 per month.
Accident cover up to R8 500 per annum.
This means that this plan will not cover vet visits and routine care. Accidents are the stuff you didn’t see coming – when your pet is involved in an accident – for example, gets hit by a car and requires you to immediately rush him or her to the vet.
Pet Primary Plan
From R160 per month.
Cover for:
- Vet visits
- Routine care
- Accidents
- Illness
Annual limit of R18 000.
This is an affordable option for pet parents who want comprehensive cover without the expensive monthly premium. You can add on the Pet Med Booster (which covers medication up to R350) for only R35pm.
Pet Hospital Plan
From R190 per month.
Cover for accidents and illness.
No cover for vet visits and routine care.
Annual limit of R48 500.
A great option for older dogs as it has high hospital coverage for pets that are more prone to accidents and illnesses, but bear in mind that regular vet visits and medication are not covered. You can add on the Pet Med Booster (which covers medication up to R350) for only R35pm.
Pet Classic Plan
From R280 per month.
Cover for:
- Vet visits
- Routine care
- Accidents
- Illness
Annual limit of R52 000.
This plan is fully comprehensive and includes Pet Med Savings, which can be used for dog medicine up to R800 per annum. It also has extensive vet visit and hospital cover meaning your pet is always covered when they need it.
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Pet Super Plan
From R430 per month.
More cover for:
- Vet visits
- Routine care
- Accidents
- Illness
Annual limit of R75 000
This is the top tier plan and includes even higher limits for all benefits, including Pet Med Savings up to R900 per annum. If your pet needs intensive care in all areas of their life, then this is a great plan to keep them healthy without breaking the bank.
Waiting Periods
The second thing you need to take into consideration is waiting periods. A waiting period is a period of time that has to pass before you can claim. During this time, you cannot claim. A waiting period starts as soon as you take out your policy and is the number of days that have to pass before you can claim.
Oneplan’s waiting periods:
- Vet visits: 30 days (14-day waiting period in between vet visits)
- Routine Care: 30 days
- Kennel Cover: 60 days
- Accident Cover: None
- Illness Cover: 60 days
The below conditions are NOT covered for the first 12 months of your policy
This means that if your senior dog suffers from any of these issues, you have to wait 12 months for any claims relating to them (medication and treatment) to be covered:
- Congenital – this is a disease your pet is born with.
- Hereditary – these are inherited conditions from your pet’s parents.
- Pre-existing conditions – these are conditions that started before your cover began.
- Addison’s Disease, Diabetes, Arthritis, Heart/Kidney Disease.
- Liver/Pancreas Disease, Skin Conditions, Tumours/Masses (Growths).
- Back/Spinal/Vertebral/Disc Conditions.
Oneplan and Dog Medicine
Medication means any prescribed medication for a medical condition diagnosed during the consultation but excludes over the counter medication. Chronic medication for pre-existing conditions will be subject to a 12-month waiting period. Any chronic condition that is diagnosed after a three (3) month waiting period will be included in the definition of medication.
What this means is that Oneplan covers chronic medication for conditions if the issue was diagnosed 3 months after your cover began. If your dog is already on chronic medication, then waiting periods will apply.
Waiting Periods and Pre-Existing Conditions
So, if your pet has been diagnosed with cancer, for example, and then you decide to take out pet insurance, you will have to wait 12 months before any claims relating to this issue are covered. The same thinking applies if your dog has one of the above-mentioned conditions.
Oneplan pays you BEFORE you see the vet
Thanks to Oneplan’s pawsome Claim Card, you can preload funds to your card BEFORE your vet visit, meaning less stressing about expensive out-of-pocket vet bills! All you have to do is login to the Oneplan App, load your claim, and the funds are transferred onto your Oneplan Claim Card in 1 minute.
We hope this article has given you some valuable insight into how dog medication for your older pooch works when it comes to pet insurance. Wishing you many more happy years with your senior pup!
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