Please note that the information provided on this page is for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute veterinary medical advice. Always consult a qualified veterinarian for questions regarding the health, diagnosis or treatment of your pet.
As with any other type of insurance, the primary purpose of pet insurance is to mitigate the financial risk of unexpected, expensive costs that may arise from your pet getting into an accident, being diagnosed with a new condition, etc.
Emergency surgeries can easily cost thousands of pounds and insurance helps owners afford expensive diagnostics and treatments for accidents, as well as long-term chronic conditions that may require regular blood tests for maintenance and ongoing medication.
If your pet receives treatment that is within the policy of your pet insurance, you are able to submit a claim for it afterwards. Normally, you pay the vet fees on the day and the insurance company pays you back for the treatment (minus any deductibles). This is called an indirect claim.
Some practices also do direct claims, where you pay a specified deposit (e.g. £200) and the remainder of the vet fees (e.g. £800 if the total surgery cost is £1,000) would be paid by the insurance company directly to the vet once the claim is accepted. If the claim gets declined, you will have to pay the outstanding balance to the vet.
Depending on your policy, there will be different exclusions that apply to your cover. In most cases, pre-existing conditions are excluded, which means that conditions that are diagnosed or where symptoms are recorded before you take out the policy (or during cool-down/waiting periods) are permanently excluded.
Some treatments are routinely excluded, e.g. preventative care such as routine vaccinations, neutering or preventative flea/worming treatment. And depending on your policy there may be other exclusions and limitations (e.g. prescription food may not be covered or cover limited, hospitalisation fees may be capped, etc.) so it is important to check your policy documents carefully before enrolling in a policy.
