What is Pet Insurance?
A pet’s love takes you to a different world. Having a pet is just like having a child. Taking care of your pet from dawn to dusk will keep you on your toes. Whether you’re taking care of their food or helping them socialize with their kind, they completely depend on you. A sad part comes when they become sick. We all get sick, and our pets do too. Our responsibility is to take them to the best veterinary doctor when they are unwell, and good pet treatment is expensive. So, buying pet insurance is smart. Let’s take a closer look at pet health insurance in India and how it can better protect our pets.
Features And Benefits Of Pet Insurance Plans?
- Customizable Plans: Most insurance companies offer pet insurance plans that are flexible enough to allow you to customize the plan for your dog, cat, or rabbit as per your requirements.
- Protection For Health: Buying a pet insurance plan will help your loved pet get the best medical treatment and care whenever necessary.
- Protection From Accidents: If your pet meets an accident, the pet insurance policy offers you coverage for treatment from an accident to ensure your pet’s comprehensive protection.
- IRDA Approved: The pet insurance plans are approved by IRDAI (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India), just like the other insurance plans.
- Third-Party Liability: Some pet insurance policies offer third-party liability coverage if your pet bites/ attacks a third party or causes damage to third-party property.
- Pocket-friendly: The premiums you need to pay for a pet insurance plan are very affordable. You can get coverage for medical care, accidents, and even overseas coverage with a lower premium rate.
- Protection Against Critical or Long-term Illness: Lifetime cover protects the pet and its owners against critical/ long-term illness, including diseases such as eczema, arthritis, etc. The policyholder who opts for a lifetime pet insurance policy will receive a specified amount each year for the pet’s treatment.
- Loss or Theft of Pet: In case of your pet’s unfortunate and untimely demise or theft, you will get compensation from the insurer.
- Add-on Covers: To strengthen your pet policy and offer more protection, you can also opt for additional or add-on cover by paying a little extra premium.
Types of Pet Insurance Available in India
- Dog Insurance: There is no doubt that dogs are the most faithful animals, but it is a historical fact that humans tend to keep dogs as pets the most. Also, since the global outbreak of the pandemic, humans have cared to form stronger bonds and friendships with dogs. So, they try to keep their best friends healthy and protected. Therefore, most of the insurance companies in India offer dog insurance products in different forms to keep this bond intact.
- Cat Insurance: Apart from dogs, cats are our second most popular pets of ours. As a cat parent, you must prioritize your cat’s health and safety. For that, certain insurers also have come up with cat insurance plans that are available for both stray and exotic cats.
- Rabbit Insurance: Many of us like to keep rabbits as pets due to their affectionate and friendly nature. These beautiful fur babies also need protection and safety. Therefore, some insurance companies sell rabbit insurance plans to keep your precious babies warm and sound.
What is covered and Not covered under Pet Insurance?
What is covered
Following are the coverage provided under Pet Insurance:
- Death due to accident
- Illness contracted while the policy is in effect
- Treatment expenses
- Accident while in transit (via rail, air or road)
- Loss/ theft of the pet
- Incapacitation
- Accidental poisoning
- Third-Party Liability
What is not covered
Some of the general exclusions under the pet insurance scheme are as follows:
- Willful or malicious injury to the pet
- Injury or illness arising out of neglect or unskillful handling of the pet
- Loss or injury due to war, foreign hostility, revolution, rebellion, military upheaval, etc.
- Death due to rabies, distemper, Viral Hepatitis, Viral Enteritis, Leptospirosis, etc.
- Illness that has been contracted before taking the policy.
Eligibility Criteria for Buying Pet Insurance Policy in India
Pet insurance can be bought for pets that fall in the age range of 2 months to 10 years. For dogs, pet insurance can be purchased for canines that come under exotic, cross-bred, or indigenous breeds. Pet parents need to know that the premium for pet insurance depends on the dog’s age, breed, and size.
What are the Entry and Exit Ages for Pet Insurance Dogs?
Entry Age: The Entry Age for this Policy is from 3 months up to 4 years for Giant Breeds and from 3 months up to 7 years for Small, Medium, and Large Breeds.
Exit Age: The Exit Age is 10 years for Small, Medium, and Large Breeds of Dogs and till the age of 6 years for Giant Breeds of Dogs.
The list of Documents required at the time of Buying Pet insurance are:
The following basic documents are required at the time of buying pet insurance
- Duly filled Proposal Form
- Video of the dog walking and Color Photos from all sides or Color Photos of the RFID tag with the Identification Number visible
- Diagnostics Test Results if the customer opts for PED cover being effective from the succeeding day
- Self-declaration on vaccinations conducted on time & declaration for insurable interest
- Purchase Proof
- Pedigree Certificate (in case the customer has selected a dog to be of pedigree lineage)
Steps to Buying Pet Insurance
Follow the simple steps to buy pet insurance for your loved Pet Insurance
- Go to a trustworthy insurance company or broker website
- Select pet insurance from the header
- Go to the pet insurance page
- Enter the Pet’s owner details like Name, Mobile No, and Email ID
- Fill Pet’s basic details like Pet’s name, age, and breed, then click View plan
- Calculate premium
- Customize your coverage
- Make the First premium payment
- Upload Pet’s photo
- Your policy will be issued
How to make a Claim under Pet Insurance?
The following basic documents will be necessary for processing a Claim under this Policy:
- Duly completed claim form
- Vaccination Certificates
- Death Certificate along with colour photographs of the deceased dog (in case of a claim under Mortality Benefit Cover)
- Vet Medical Papers and Bill (in case of claims under Surgery Expenses & Hospitalisation Cover, Mortality Benefit Cover, Long Term Care Cover and OPD Cover)
- Copy of General Diary Entry lodged by Police (in case of a claim under Theft/Lost/Straying Cover)
- FIR (in case of a claim under Third Party Liability Cover)
- Copy of advertisement (in case of a claim under Theft/Lost/Straying Cover)
- Hospital bill (in case of a claim under Hospitalization)
- Court Orders (in case of a claim under Third Party Liability Cover)
- Diagnostics Report (in case of a claim under Terminal Diseases Cover, Long Term Care Cover and OPD Cover)
- Any other documents, if required by the Company to process the claim