Now, more than ever, pet owners cannot afford to be without pet insurance. It has become a necessity to ensure that our pets can be treated in case of emergency. But the biggest question remains: which insurance to choose?
We’ve asked some of the popular insurance companies to share information with us. Hopefully this will assist you in choosing the right insurance company.
| Absolute Pets
absolutepets.petsureapp.co.za |
GENRIC Pet Insurance
genricpet.co.za |
Kido Pet Insurance
kidopet.co.za |
Dotsure
dotsure.co.za |
Hollard Pet Insurance
hollardpetinsurance.co.za |
MediPet
medipetsa.co.za |
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| Types of animals covered | Dogs and cats
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Dogs and cats
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Dogs and cats
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Dogs, cats and licensed exotic pets | Dogs, cats and leisure horses
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Dogs and cats
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| Starting premium
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R190 per month
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R150 per month
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R160 per month | R69 per month
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R99 per month (illness and accident)
R37 per month (accidental injuries only)
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R164.48 per month |
| Number of insurance products available | Three plans
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Four plans | Two plans | Six plans with multiple permutations
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Seven schemes | Three products |
| Period to payment of a claim – before or after treatment or procedure | After consultation or procedure – it means no delays or waiting for treatment. | Both – pre-authorised claims might sometimes be paid before the procedure where direct payment to the vet has been agreed.
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The majority of claims are paid after the pet is discharged from the vet. | Works on a reimbursement basis. | Claims are processed and the applicable benefit reimbursed once a completed claim is received.
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Pays vets directly, if specially arranged, or refunds members after the submission of their invoices. |
| Unique product offering | Their entry-level product is a loyalty programme, Loyalty Care, at only R30 a month, which gives you up to R5,000 pet accident cover per pet per year, as well as triple cash-back points when you purchase products from Absolute Pets that promote healthy living.
Their most comprehensive option, Premium Cover, covers routine care: annual check-ups, vaccinations, tick and flea control, deworming, sterilisation and teeth scaling and polishing.
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With their products, there are no annual limits, no claim limits and no procedure limits. | Kido Pet has no upper age limit, covering pets over the age of eight years from the get-go with no breed exclusions. They also cover registered breeding bitches with their Breeder Extension. Pets don’t need to be microchipped to receive medical treatment (although they do advise this for other reasons). They also don’t have any individual sub-limits. Their Family Plan covers up to three pets for the price of one. Kido has an in-house vet who gives the best advice and ensures claims are processed speedily.
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The Name Your Price functionality and the extensive choice of plans that they offer make them unique. Also, their exotic pet plan is a real winner (bird owners love it) and is completely exclusive to dotsure.co.za – nobody else offers this cover.
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They have a broad variety of plan options and premium ranges.
They were the first pet medical insurance company in the country and are still going strong after 26 years.
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MediPet has a qualified vet and nurse who are actively involved in the day-to-day operations, strategy and vision. This helps them when it comes to fighting for your claims with the underwriters and has contributed to their 93% claim success rate. |
Keep in mind
You have to keep in mind that pet medical insurance is a short-term insurance, and not a medical aid. As each company differs, it is important to get clarity from an insurance broker about what the differences in the various products are. Just because it is the most affordable monthly premium, doesn’t mean that it is the best option for you or your pets.
Also, read the terms and conditions thoroughly, be aware of the exclusions and ensure that you are covered adequately.
