Do you feel that your pet is a part of your family? Then it is always a noble idea to insure your pet. However, it can be an ordeal for a dog owner like you when your beloved furry friend becomes sick.
Sometimes the cost of treatment is sky-high, and it is nearly out of your reach. In India, there have been numerous cases where pet owners could not afford the cost and had to register to end the dog agonizing; they may have set down. This whole scenario is known as economic euthanasia. However, it has been noticed that if these dog owners had gone for pet insurance in India, they could have avoided this agonizing situation.
However, this is not the only reason an owner opts for pet insurance. Many dog breeds have their own cost, among which the medical cost is a big part of the chunk.
The main motto of dog insurance is to control the cost of the treatment so that you don’t face financial glitches.
You may be having some queries regarding pet insurance, such as:
- What is the purpose of dog insurance?
- How much does this insurance cost?
- What is the requirement of dog insurance in the present scenario?
If you want to get answers to these queries, go through this article.
Basic dog insurance in India
Unlike the health insurance of human beings, dog insurances have a lot of restrictions. In the time of any bad situation like some sickness or accident of your dog, vet-related treatment costs can be thousands of rupees.
Pet insurance work on a contractual agreement basis. You have to pay them in advance, and they will reimburse you after treatment. Opting a coverage for a routine check-up is not worth it at all because the cost of the check-up is almost the same as the premium amount.
With a cautious observation of the premium cost, deductible and co-payment coverage become mind-relaxing affairs for you.
Details
According to an insurance company survey, a majority of the standard earning family have pets. Among this financial band, almost 80 percent are dog owners, while 40 percent have a cat, birds and fish are the rest few of them. According to research, though pet-related insurance is not an old concept in India, it increases rapidly. The dog holds the majority share of the pet insurance while others have a few percentage shares. That is why we concentrate on the dog majorly.
The veterinarian’s care for dogs costs 2000 INR to 14000 INR per year. While in the case of cats, it is around 8,000 INR to 10,000 INR approximately. So, never take insurance considering the regular care. The premium for the dog insurance per year cost is about one thousand five hundred only in Indian currency.
Keep in mind that your reason for selecting pet insurance is for an accidental and illness-related reason. Some treatments can be expensive, like diabetes, but the treatment costs a little, especially in dogs. It becomes huge in time of some accidental issue. Emergency care is one of the highest expenditures you should consider. Any surgery or endpoint disease is the costliest affair you have to face for your dog.
The breed is a factor in the case of medical costs for the dog. Some dog breeds are prone to particular diseases. For example, dysplasia is a significant cause of concern for larger dog breeds. In other scenarios, huskies are prone to cataracts. In dysplasia, surgery is mandatory, which may cost you 30,000 INR to 35,000 INR.
Coverages provided by pet insurance
Pet insurance in India has three types of coverage- lifetime coverage, limited time coverage, and money limit coverage.
Below are some general coverage plans available in India pet insurance:
The wellness name of the cover explains to you the type of cover they facilitate. It will cover regular tests. You can take it for preventive care maintenance. This coverage only provides a routine-type test. They do not apply to accident or endpoint diseases.
Accidental cover
This type of cover is only applicable for accidental purposes such as aging, poisoning, or swallowing any foreign object, which may harm their health. Accidents due to car crashes or any damage related to health are also covered. This type of policy is opted for by owners of aged dogs who can’t go for comprehensive ones.
There are two types of dog insurance mainly available; one is general, and the other is premium. General has limited options, whereas it is low in cost. In contrast, the premium one has more facilities. However, the premium coverage plan comes with more costly premiums.
Some conditions applied in pet insurance
It has deductibles and co-payments of about 20 percent. No preexisting diseases are undercover. That means any such diseases already existed at opting for insurance are not covered. Dental care is excluded. About 30 days waiting period is a mandatory procedure. That means you have to wait for a thirty-day tenure from the day of insurance taken for claiming. Any injury that occurred due to mishandling and willingly will not be entertained.
Reimbursement
In pet insurance, you get the reimbursement. However, initially, the veterinarian charges or medical costs need to be paid by you. Unfortunately, cashless insurances for pets are yet not in operation in India. Therefore, pet insurance will reimburse only eighty percent of the cost of medical treatment while the rest of the twenty percent you have to pay.
Conclusion
You need to pay nearly 1,500 INR for total coverage if calculated yearly. However, it will make you feel secure about your pet. Also, you can avail any treatment procedure without any hesitation.