Pet insurance: the benefits of covering your pet for life

Murphy became part of the family. Then at just 8 months old, he developed what the vet diagnosed as Kennel Cough. When the cough didn’t subside after a few weeks, Sean and Moz sought a second opinion. Murphy was diagnosed with a congenital lung condition which required an operation.

Although the operation saved Murphy’s life, he needed ongoing care for related illnesses and wasn’t expected to live past 2 years old. Now aged ten, Murphy is still part of the family, complete with a second Irish Terrier and the couple’s daughter Matilda. Sean and Moz have almost lost him countless times but thankfully due to their Covered For Life® dog insurance policy with Petplan, they have been able to access the continued veterinary care and medicine Murphy needs to lead a healthy life.

Petplan’s Covered For Life® insurance is designed to give pets like Murphy the best possible care.

We offer a breadth of cover  that allows you to go ahead with the diagnostic tests and treatment that your vet recommends. And your Petplan Covered For Life® policy will provide this cover year after year. So your pet can continue to receive the best care for ongoing conditions.

It’s the kind of support you’d expect to get from all, pet insurance policies, isn’t it?

But this isn’t always the case. Some policies limit what they’ll pay towards certain diagnostics, like MRI or CT scans. Or what they’ll pay for certain conditions, like cruciate ligament injuries. Others won’t cover your pet for dental illness or injury, or for congenital and hereditary conditions like Murphy’s.

“Pet insurance is designed to help families cover the cost of veterinary treatment, but things aren’t as straightforward as they once were,” says leading veterinary specialist Professor Noel Fitzpatrick (best known as the Supervet).

“There are now over 80 insurance companies offering pet insurance with a huge range of policies available. Some types of pet insurance only cover accidents, some only pay out for 12 months, some provide no more than a set amount for each condition.”

Once you have decided which type of pet insurance you want, there’s another layer of complexity, adds Professor Fitzpatrick: “If you look at the details, the terms of a Lifetime policy with one company may be different to the terms of a Lifetime policy with another company. The bottom line is, not all pet insurance is the same, so choose wisely.”

To make sure you end up with a policy that will give your pet the best possible care, always look beyond the headlines and ask pet insurance companies these three simple questions

1. Are there any additional limits within the vet bills cover?
2. Do you cover dental illness and injury?
3. Will I pay more if I claim?

With Petplan’s Covered for Life® pet insurance we have no additional limits for specific conditions or diagnostic tools. Yes, of course we also cover dental illness and injury. And no, you won’t pay more if you claim than if you don’t. We don’t wriggle out of claims. We pay 98% of Covered for Life® claims. And it’s no surprise that, like Sean and Moz, over 90% of Petplan customers renew with us each year.