Is it too late or too early to get pet insurance coverage for your furry friend?
Pet insurance is quickly becoming one of the most important policies to have on your side. Healthcare for animals is a highly sought after service and for good reason: we love our pets, and we want them to be in good hands when the time comes.
We all want excellent pet healthcare, but what about the costs? These days, the cost of healthcare for pets is relatively on par with healthcare for humans. And just like with humans, accidents and illnesses can come out of the blue (and cost more than you ever bargained for.
Now we’re sure you know all of this already considering you want to know if your pet is eligible for pet insurance coverage. It’s a good question and a question we are more than happy to answer. The sooner you find out, the sooner you can jump on the perfect policy for you and your pet!
Age limits and pet insurance
The most common question we get about pet insurance coverage eligibility is regarding age. Age is a huge factor because it plays an important part in your risk profile. Obviously, the older your pet is, the higher their risk profile will be. The same goes for them being too young.
That’s why insurers such as Oneplan Pet Insurance have the following guides for age and pet size (because that also makes a big difference on your pet’s risk profile).
Pets must be older than 8 weeks and:
-Small Dogs younger than 11 years
-Medium Dogs younger than 10 years
-Big Dogs younger than 9 years
-Cats younger than 11 years
Does my insurance cut off when my pet reaches the age limit?
Nope! And that’s why it’s so important to insure your pet from a young age.
The age limits above only apply if you are enrolling your pet on a pet insurance policy for the first time once they have already turned 9, 10 or 11 years old. If you insure your pet when they’re young, they will be covered for their whole life.
Accident Plan for your older pet
Oneplan has four great pet policies that are designed to protect your pet and your wallet. Whilst their Hospital Plan, Classic Plan and Pet Super Plan all have age limits that apply, their Accident Plan is open to pets of all ages (except for the older than 8 weeks part).
If you have a senior dog that is uninsured, you can get an Accident Policy from Oneplan that will cover you for unexpected accidents – older dogs tend to get a bit clumsy and accident-prone so this is a good policy to have.
The earlier you get pet insurance coverage, the better. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have options!
Related: 10 Helpful Tips on How to Choose Pet Insurance
Waiting periods and exclusions
Waiting periods are put in place to protect insurers. They need to know that the minute they take you on, they aren’t handing over tens of thousands of rands each month for cancer care or massive surgeries. As much as they may want to, they just can’t afford to do so.
Here’s a post explaining waiting periods a little more.
Waiting periods are a small waiting window in which certain ailments are not covered. A small time frame in the bigger picture, really. So if your dog is sick with any of the following, it will take 12 months before you can claim from Oneplan for these:
- Cancer
- Arthritis
- Heart disease
- Tumours/masses/ growths
- IMHA (Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia)
- Tuberculosis (TB)
- Diabetes
- Congenital, hereditary and pre-existing conditions.
My pet has a pre-existing condition, are they eligible for insurance coverage?
Congenital and hereditary conditions are diseases or ailments that have either been passed down through family bloodlines or are common to the breed. A pre-existing condition is one that existed before you signed up for a pet insurance policy. If you know your dog has an underlying condition, there is still hope for excellent insurance coverage.
Congenital, hereditary and pre-existing conditions are excluded for the first year of your policy, but that doesn’t mean your pet isn’t eligible for pet insurance. Oneplan wants to welcome all pets from all walks of life into their Oneplan family which is why they offer cover for congenital, hereditary and pre-existing conditions.
Insuring your pet from as young as possible means you can rest peacefully knowing your pet will be safe through all different stages of its life.
Read more: 3 Reasons Why Pet Insurance is Important from the Get-Go
