Pet insurance: what it is, how it works and when to get it

Patas is a happy dog, who loves to run and walk with his sister Kira. Just over a year ago, he performed a bizarre maneuver that severed one of his ligaments, for which he had to undergo expensive surgery. There, Melisa Paredes, her guardian, came to consider the idea of ​​getting pet insurance.

One of the options costs about eleven thousand pesos per month with an annual contract. Patas was due for surgery in another month. “I hired him thinking of paying it back later,” Paredes explains. The most expensive, yes, were the fees of the veterinarian, who had to travel from Santiago to Punta Arenas, the city where this family resides, to be able to perform the operation.

“They didn’t reimburse me for everything I wanted. There was a UF limit, which was like 300 Luke. The doctor’s fees, which amounted to almost 500,000 pesos, were not reimbursed. They told me that since the ticket was issued on another date and was from Santiago, it was not valid,” he said. In the end, they only returned 120,000 pesos.

So is it worth taking out pet health insurance? These, like people’s, are policies that allow pet sitters to cover the cost of certain health needs, such as vet visits, medical procedures, and the like. To access these benefits, you have to pay a certain amount of money on a monthly basis.

As with humans, pet insurance has different types of coverage. There are some that are more basic and others that even offer full refunds at dog hotels and groomers. Just as someone can have their health plan within isafter, with x benefits, your pet can also access it.

“They are mainly intended for dogs and cats, and offer various assistance services, accompanying you in the health needs of your animal”, defines Juan Etchepareborda, manager of Queplan.cl nail insurtech dedicated to advising on health plans.

But each plan and each insurer has its particularities. For example, coverage of health checks and vaccinations. “Assuming that each vaccine costs around 40,000 pesos, with a 70% coverage plan, the insurance will cover 28,000 dollars and you will only pay 12,000 dollars,” he analyzes.

If your pet has an accident, “having insurance will allow you to take it to the nearest veterinary center without having to worry about whether it is the cheapest. Plus, depending on the plan, you might get coverage for care, routine checkups, and other emergencies,” he says.

“It covers everything from things as simple as the annual mandatory vaccinations, or my dog ​​ate something wrong or my cat jumped from a high place and landed badly, to the inevitable things of age, like problems stomach, cancers or infections”, shares Nathalie Moreau, marketing manager at paw pet insurance company.

Simba is about eight months old and his guardian, Javiera McNiven, took out pet insurance a few weeks ago. “I hired him because he has different assists and covers that I find interesting. For example, this includes medical consultations, sanitary baths, hairdressers and hotels, among others. If there are illnesses, which we know can be expensive to treat, you are also covered,” he says. She opted for the insurance offered by her bank.

“Many pet sitters are more reactive than proactive, only worrying about their pets’ health when something bad happens to them and expensive vet bills arrive,” says Moreau. For this reason, when an accident occurs, one of the last things we think about is the cost of all associated procedures. “We’ve had a lot of tutors come to us looking for insurance options when it’s too late,” he says.

“It’s a long-term investment, especially considering that pets, like humans, are not exempt from getting sick or having accidents,” says Etchepareborda. “If we provide the necessary care that the animal needs in time, we could reduce the chances of it having more serious health problems in the future, which will therefore cost more.”

“Between paying an average of 15,000 per month, and suddenly receiving an account of more than 1 or 2 million – in the event of an accident or serious illness – it will always be a better option to be insured”, explains Moreau.

“Each pet insurance offers different advantages: there, you have to see which best suits your budget and the needs of the animals”, comments Fernando Aliaga in his podcast hair on clothes. In his final chapter, titled “What is pet isapres” , they did the rating exercise in different pet insurances. “I think it’s a good option, but if you have more than one puppy or kitten in the house, it can get more complicated,” she said.

As in the human world, the plans offered by different companies cover various ranges of options. Of course, some cover more than others. “The number of benefits they have and their coverage is essential, not only in an emergency, but in all other aspects that complement the care of our animals so that they are healthy and happy,” explains the marketing manager of Pawer, a company that offers three types of coverage: basic, recommended and premium.

It will always depend on your budget and the needs of your pet. “Some may prefer insurance that focuses on routine care coverage, such as vaccinations or deworming, while others may consider something more robust in accident or more serious illness protection more relevant” , they explain. Queplan.cl .

One detail you should pay attention to, according to Etchepareborda, is the restrictions of each plan. That is, “which services will not be covered by the company”, as well as the number of events covered per year. “For example, insurance can cover simple imaging exams only 3 times a year. The fourth, therefore, would not have a refund, ”he explains.

Among the most common benefits is the magnetic resonance scanner, the direct cost of which can be around 70,000 pesos. “Some packages have a 50% discount, so the copayment drops to 35,000 pesos,” he explains.

In the case of deworming, “depending on where and how it’s done, a program can cost around 35,000, but with a plan that gives you a 70% discount, you’ll save around 21,000 pesos.” He also mentions that among the items that appear as benefits, you can find hospitalizations, medication, haircuts, dental cleaning and physiotherapy. “The latter is also a recurring service and its cost is around 35,000 per session; the bonus, having a plan, can be more than 50%. In other words, 17,000 for each session,” he adds.

Depending on the plan subscribed, you have the possibility of obtaining additional benefits to the coverage of veterinary examinations and consultations, such as discounts on hotel accommodation for dogs, hairdressing, nutritional advice, home visits or coverage in the event of legal or civil proceedings. public liability. .

Qué Plan is a platform that allows you to compare different insurances on the market. Thus, you can see online which option is the most advantageous according to your possibilities and your needs. According to Etchepareborda, what Chilean guardians are looking for the most are two things.

“First of all, there are those who seek insurance to comply with what the Cholito law determines, that is to say, to have civil liability insurance for the animal. In fact, strictly speaking, only those with which the latter is associated are safe,” he explains.

The second trend seen is “those who are actually looking for the most robust coverage, as if it were supplementary insurance or isapre but for their pet. In these cases, if they do not include civil liability, it would be more accurate to speak of a “health plan” for pets”, he specifies.

• Beware of price differences: in the podcast hair on clothes, When comparing prices at different companies, they noticed a significant difference. “Between a crossbred animal and a purebred animal, the plans go up immediately, and not just a little. Five dollars a month, for example, for me, that’s enough. We invite you to do the exercise of being well informed of the health system that exists for pets, and above all that you do not sign anything blindly”, assured Fernando.
• Deductible and waiting months: Just like human insurance, these plans may or may not have an amount that yes or yes you will have to pay, the famous deductible, since the coverage only reaches a certain percentage and not the entire event. “Most pet plans are a free-choice modality and have no deductible; however, you will have to wait some time before you can start using the insurance. In general it is a month, but it can vary, ”they analyze from Qué Plan.
• Fine print: The last detail mentioned by Etchepareborda is that the age of the animal must be taken into account, because “there are hiring and tenure restrictions”. Usually it is not reported in large print, so it is worth consulting whoever is offering you the insurance or looking for details in the questions section on the official website of the insurance in question.