There are four main types of pet insurance, so it can be hard to decide on the right one for you and your pet.
Think about what you want from your pet insurance. Accident only or time-limited cover is better for expensive, short-term incidents and illnesses. Lifetime and maximum benefit can help cover the cost of treatment for single conditions that go on for many years.
Lifetime
Lifetime pet insurance pays for injuries or illnesses with no time limit on each condition. There’s usually a limit on the amount you can claim in a year for each condition though. As long as you keep renewing your policy, you’ll get continuous cover for the illness or injury each year that your policy is in place. You’ll only be covered for new illnesses or injuries, not pre-existing ones.
Accident-only
Accident-only pet insurance helps cover the cost of treatment if your pet is involved in an accident. It doesn’t cover illnesses, diseases or have any other benefits. If you pet has a pre-existing condition, it won’t be covered either.
Time-limited
If you pick a time-limited policy, there’ll be a cap on how much you can claim for treatment and a time limit too – usually 12 months. You can’t claim again for a condition after the 12-month period is up, or if you reach the cap on treatment costs – whichever comes first. Pre-existing conditions aren’t covered either.
Maximum benefit
This covers your pet for each injury or illness up to a specified pre-set limit. The limit doesn’t reset each year, so there’s no time limit on how long you can claim, like with an annual policy. This means you can keep claiming for the same condition until you reach the pre-set limit, for as long as you keep renewing your policy.
