by Scott Pape - March 18th 2011
Top tips for insuring your pet:
1. Watch out for exclusions
Always read your policy carefully, and check to see what is excluded.
2. Choose a high excess
As with all insurance policies, the higher excess you’re willing to pay, the lower the cost of the yearly premium.
3. Only insure for things that can financially kill you
Make sure your policy covers claims for your pet being in an accident or falling ill. Pay for routine treatment out of your pocket.
We’ve scoured the internet to find the best deals on pet insurance, which are listed below. Bear in mind these quotes are for a 3-year-old dog, and prices may vary for your dog/cat depending on age and breed.
Medibank Private
Silver Paw Cover
Annual premium: $250, with a $500 excess
Annual benefit limit: $12,000
Bow Wow Insurance
Major Medical Plan
Annual premium: $284, with a $500 excess
Annual benefit limit: $8,000
1300insurance
Comprehensive Protect
Annual premium: $320, with a $500 excess
Annual benefit limit: $15,000
*These quotes are correct at the time of this publication, and may change.
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/16447031@N02/3804301582/
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10 comments
Thanks for making me think about pet insurance. Even though I can’t afford health insurance for my partner and i at least we can go through the public system at no charge. My 10 week old French bulldog wont get the same if he gets sick. So definitely worth insurance because I know vet bills can be very expensive! Thanks again
I couldn’t look into the eyes of my beautiful cat and know I was putting money before her. A pocket full of money will not sit on my lap at night.
Curiously expensive insurance for the $ benefit you receive. Compare that to how much higher $ benefit you get for the same cost by protecting your human family. Yet many protect their pets before themselves.
Glad Buffet has the all clear (as has the bank account)! Speaking of insurance my Wife and I have just combined our health insurance saving about $70.00 per month! We’ll put that money into insuring our Golden Retiever – and we’re still $500 per year better off.
what happens if you for example have multiple pets eg 3 cats… does the insurance cover all 3 or do you pay eg $250 per pet per year???
You would pay on each cat Carol!
Hi Scott,
Just wanted to comment on this recommendation as I have the Silver Paw cover with Medibank.
My dog Benson recently had to undergo tooth extraction – which with anaesthetic, pain killers the works – cost just under $1300. Now because I didn’t have “Routine Extras” (which included dental procedures), nothing was covered.
People should really check the finer points and see if it’s not just worth putting what they would pay the insurance company monthly into a separate high interest account for that “rainy dog day”.
Thanks again,
Benson’s Mum
I believe you have a super site here… i just happened to find it doing a bing search. anyway, great post.. i’ll be bookmarking this page for certain.
I like your no bs articles they are the reason I keep coming back here.
Thanks for your advice. I can’t believe Hollard Insurance Co. seems to have ALL the different Pet
Insurances in Aust. Isn’t that a monopoly? I’ve had RSpCA Ins.through them for several years,without making ANY claims.When I did make a claim,they lost the Original Vet invoice & claim form & wanted another Original Vet invoice & wouldn’t accept the scanned Copies I had. Thoroughly disgusted with them.They NEVER answer emails in 3 weeks. Act on calls,they say in 48 hours which is wrong.U r lucky to get a response in 3 weeks to over 1 month. Worst customer service company! Unprofessional & work with 19th century systems. Pathetic! Do u know any Pet Ins. NOT with Hollard Insurance? If so, please let me know. Thanks