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Pet insurance helps you pay for the high quality veterinary care you want for your pet. We cover pets for accidents, illnesses, wellness care, ongoing conditions, and more. Pet insurance is slowly but surely catching up in India. Pet Insurance schemes essentially pay for the veterinary costs in case one's pet falls sick or suffers an accident or injury. Some pet plan insurance products also make payments for loss or death of the insured pet. Pet medical insurance is essentially a risk mitigation strategy for guarding against significant medical expenditure for treatment of sick or injured pets. With the recent developments in the field of veterinary medicine the life expectancy of pets has increased, so did the cost of medical treatment. This has widened the market for pet insurance. Nowadays customized pet plan insurance programs are available for animals like cats and dogs.
It may be noted that Claes Virgin wrote the world's first policy on pet
insurance in 1890. Pet insurance policies worldwide are also available for livestock and animals like horses. Pet care insurance in India is still at a nascent stage. Most of the clients come from the super rich sections of society. However, the insurers foresee a huge untapped potential in this sector, in the coming years. Pet insurers put the number of pets at over 4 million, counted across 27 main Indian metros. The value of the Indian pet industry is estimated at above Rs 400 crore. Industry insiders in India expect pet insurance business to boom with the increased public awareness about the concerned schemes.
Oriental Insurance, a premier Indian insurance company, provides insurance for dogs, horses and elephants. Currently the other key players in the Indian pet insurance market are United India Insurance Co, National Insurance Co, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance and New India Assurance Co.
Usually the premium for pet insurance varies between three to five percent of the amount insured in India. Pet medical insurance plans in India normally provide coverage for death from disease, disability and sickness. Insurance coverage is also extended for public liability and accidental death of pets. Despite a boom in pet care facilities in India, the concept of pet insurance has not become popular here due to unorganised nature of this sector, say experts. While pet insurance is hugely popular in the western countries, it is still relatively unknown in India, as insurance companies do not advertise about it and a large number of people do not get their pets registered, they say.
"Pet sector is not organised in India. There is no proper care and vaccination for pets, due to which the death rate is high. Such high mortality rate repells the insurance companies and they hesitate to get in," says Dr Vishal Sharma, a citybased veterinary doctor. Majority of the insurance policies are dog-oriented, but other animals like elephants, cows, buffalos, cats, sheep, horses etc are also insured by different companies. Companies offering pet insurance in India include the Oriental Insurance, United India Insurance, National Insurance, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance and New India Assurance. "Pet insurance is not the priority of people. They think what will I get in return. If the dog is of Rs 3,000, we can buy another one if something happens to his one. There is no target audience as such so companies do not spend on costly advertisements also," says R S Madan, Chief Manager, Oriental Insurance. "Insurance has been there for costly racing horses. Buffaloes and cows in villages are insured as people depend on them for livlihoods. But for other pets, the situation is grim," says Madan. According to a research conducted by Research and Consultancy Enterprise (RACE) of Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad, there are about 2.2 million dogs in the Indian household with the population increasing by 26 per cent every year. The total pets are estimated to be around 4 million in India by experts. Internationally, pet insurance market seems to be experiencing a steady growth of about 10 per cent -15 per cent.
"Pet insurance is almost negligible at the moment. People want to get their pets insured as the cost of their treatment and maintainace have gone up. Also, there are not enough recognised hospitals that can recommend the expenditure on treating a pet," says Binoy Sahee, one of the organisers of the India International Pet Trade Fair. Pet health insurance pays the veterinary costs if one's pet becomes ill or is injured in an accident. Some policies will also pay out when the pet dies, or if it's lost or stolen. The purpose of pet insurance is to mitigate the risk of incurring significant expense to treat ill or injured pets. As veterinary medicine is increasingly employing expensive medical techniques and drugs, and owners have higher expectations for their pets' health care and standard of living than previously, the market for pet insurance has increased.
Instructions
1. Get Pet Life Insurance to Prepare for a Worst-Case Situation
1.
Go over your current pet insurance policy to see if your coverage includes end-of-life benefits. If it does, it is unlikely that you need to buy additional life insurance.
2.
Search online to find a pet life insurance provider licensed to sell insurance in your state. If you are not sure if the insurer is licensed for your state, you can usually get that information from your state's licensing agency.
3.
Request quotes from the companies with policies that meet your needs. Most insurers provide online quotes that are available immediately. You can also get quotes over the phone.
4.
Compare all the insurance quotes that you receive. Consider the benefits available as well as whether the plan is affordable. You should also think
about whether you or your pet may have special needs and make sure those needs are met by any policy you choose.
5.
Buy the policy you have chosen. Most companies will offer you the option of purchasing online or over the phone. Your actual cost may not match the quoted price, because quotes are usually based on only limited information.
Routine care coverage This type of insurance covers most of your routine pet care needs. For example, you wont need to pay out -of-pocket for annual examinations and vaccinations. Routine care coverage is one of the cheapest forms of pet insurance. However, you need to be careful about choosing a package; make sure that the insurance premium does not exceed the cost of routine services. Basic Coverage for Specialized Services Basic pet care policies covers the cost of procedures that are outside the range of routine care insurance. This plan does not cover annual examinations and vaccination but it will pay for the cost of surgery, diagnostic testing, and visits to specialists among others. Premium Coverage for Specialized Services These have the same features as the basic plans but this offers higher reimbursements. To compensate for their service, the insurance premium you need to pay may also be significantly higher. All-Inclusive Insurance It covers everything from routine care to specialized care. The all-inclusive pet insurance offers the best coverage against unforeseen circumstances. Due to the breath of its offer, it is also the most expensive type of pet insurance policy.
The majority of pet insurance firms wont pay for pet care and medical procedures up-front. You would need to shell out the amount first and get reimbursement from the company later. In most instances, the reimbursement would be completed within a week or two at the most. In cases when the situation is a matter of life or death, veterinarians usually allow the pet owner to just pay a token amount. Then
the owner would need to ask the insurance firm to send the payment directly to the clinic. It is important to note that not all pet owners can take advantage of insurance. For pets with pre-existing conditions, for instance, very few insurers will offer coverage. Pets that have been treated for certain problems may not be eligible for reimbursement if the injury or illness is related to the first incident. If they do get a pet insurance, expect the cost to shoot up. It may even be better to just pay the bill yourself. Selection of the pet insurance depends on many things like your types of pet, pet age and condition, your budget and many things. You must need to protect your pet from the insurance because some insurance cover regular treatment so it will save lots of money from your pocket. The pet insurance has variety of features depends on the policy.
The pet insurance cover accident coverage, once you enroll into pet insurance policy it will get effective from midnight. The coverage start begins 21 days from the effective date of premium.
2. No Co-insurance:
Under the no co-insurance the pet-insurance company can give coverage to dog and cats till at the age of 8. The co-insurance policy cover some percent of claim remaining claim would be bear by the pet owner.
The pet insurance policy cover pet illness or treatment for the injury for unlimited time period. It is proved to be the best policy for your pet incase of sever injury or illness.
4. Age limitations:
The eligibility of the age of the pet is normally fixed up for 8 week.
5. Discount:
If you have more than one pet and you get medical treatment from the vet, you will get the discount of around 10 percent on each policy. 6. Vet Advise:
You must have to keep in touch with your veterinarian for vaccinations and regular medical treatment to keep your pet healthy. You must have to inspect your pet at regular interval.
The pet insurance policy covers full (100 percent) medical coverage under the pet insurance program. The policy pay 100 percent claim after the deductibles as per defined limit. Normally the insurer would pay only 20 percent of the total claim.
The pet are also covered under the Hereditary and Chronic Diseases. The company provides 100% claim on the above diseases.
9. Comprehensive Coverage:
The comprehensive coverage will provide you various treatments like prescribed drugs, hospitalization, x-rays, operations, MRI/CAT scans, ultra-sounds, and other alternative treatments like acupuncture, homeopathic, chiropractic, chemotherapy and other treatments. The pet insurance is affordable one, one must have to get protection from the pet insurance.
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insurance market are United India Insurance Co, National Insurance Co, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance and New India Assurance Co. Usually the premium for pet insurance varies between three to five percent of the amount insured in India. Pet medical insurance plans in India normally provide coverage for death from disease, disability and sickness. Insurance coverage is also extended for public liability and accidental death of pets. For a lot of us pets are more domesticated animals. Pets are a part of our families, sharing the same love that is shared by the other members of the family. Therefore, if the members of the family get insurance shouldnt the pets get insurance too? Most of us animal lovers would agree. But what is pet insurance? Pet Insurance takes care of the veterinary costs if the pet becomes ill or is injured in an accident. However, the insurance policy does not pay for routine or preventative treatment. Some policies also cover death, theft or if the pet is lost. A dog insurance policy can help you cover losses to a third party in case your pet accidentally bites them or destroys their property.
healthy animal will be a lot less than insuring an older animal which has a history of medical problems. This makes it just the same kind of discretionary process which medical insurers use when considering which human clients to take on. It may seem unfair but the insurers are ultimately trying to run a business and make a profit, thus they arent going to take on a client or a pet which they feel could present them with a potentially large payout. When applying for pet insurance you will need to disclose the previous medical history of your animal and copies of any certificates or vet examinations. The company will then use this information to determine how much it will cost you to insure your pet. When most people come to consider pet insurance, they feel as though they have already spent enough on feeding and housing their pet and cant quite bring themselves to part with the extra money for making monthly contributions to an insurance scheme. However, veterinary bills can sometimes be the most expensive aspect of keeping a pet so you could soon find yourself out of pocket if you are not careful. Many pet owners believe pet insurance is a variation of human health insurance; however, pet insurance is actually a form of property insurance. As such, pet insurance reimburses the owner after the pet has received care and the owner submits a claim to the insurance company. British policies usually pay 100% of vets fees, but this is certainly not always the case. It is typically more common to find UK pet insurance companies discounting their policies by offering their customers the chance to pay an excess fee, just like with motor insurance. Excess fees can range from 40 to 100. The excess is usually fixed by the insurer dependent on the amount of discount they are giving the buyer. In the future more flexible excess levels will probably play an important part of how much one pays for a pet insurance policy.
Policies in the United States and Canada either pay off a benefit schedule or pay a percentage of the vet costs (up to 90%), after reaching a deductible, depending on the company and the specific policy. The owner usually pays the amount due to the veterinarian and then sends in the claim form and receives reimbursement, which some companies and policies limit according to their own schedules of necessary and usual charges. For very high bills, some veterinarians allow the owner to put off payment until the insurance claim is processed . Some insurers pay veterinarians directly on behalf of customers. Most American and Canadian policies require the pet owner to submit a request for fees incurred. Previously, most pet insurance plans did not pay for preventative care (such as vaccinations) or elective procedures (such as neutering). Recently, however, some companies in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States are offering routine-care coverage, sometimes called comprehensive coverage. Dental care, prescription drugs and alternative treatments, such as physiotherapy and acupuncture, are also covered by some providers. There are two categories of insurance policies for pets: non-lifetime and lifetime. The first covers buyers for most conditions suffered by their pet during the course of a policy year but, on renewal in a following year, a condition that has been claimed for will be excluded. If that condition needs further treatment the pet owner will have to pay for that himself. The second category covers a pet for ongoing conditions throughout the pets lifetime so that, if a condition is claimed for in the first year, it will not be excluded in subsequent years. However, lifetime policies also have limits: some have limits per condition, others have limits per condition, per year, and others have limits per year, all of which have different implications for a pet owner whose pet needs treatment year after year, so it is wise to be clear which type of lifetime policy you are considering.
In addition, companies often limit coverage for pre-existing conditions in order to eliminate fraudulent consumers, thus giving owners an incentive to insure even very young animals, who are not expected to incur high veterinary costs while they are still healthy. There is usually a short period after a pet insurance policy is bought when the holder will be unable to claim for sickness, often no more than 14 days from inception. This is to cover illnesses contracted before the pet was covered but whose symptoms appeared only after coverage has begun. Some insurers offer options not directly related to pet health, including covering boarding costs for animals whose owners are hospitalized, or costs (such as rewards or posters) associated with retrieving lost animals. Some policies also include travel cancellation coverage if owners must remain with pets who need urgent treatment or are dying. Some British policies for dogs also include third-party liability insurance. Thus, for example, if a dog causes a car accident that damages a vehicle, the insurer will pay to rectify the damage for which the owner is responsible under the Animals Act 1971.
Whether there is an annual contract that determines anything diagnosed in the previous year of coverage is considered pre-existing the next year.
As a strong supporter of proactive pet care, we're proud to be a member of the Partnership for Preventive Pet Healthcare. The mission of the Partnership is to ensure that pets receive the preventive healthcare they deserve through regular visits to a veterinarian.
Introduced at the 2011 American Veterinary Medical Association convention in St. Louis, Mo., Partnership members include: American Veterinary Medical Association American Animal Hospital Association Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges 13 animal health companies representing pharmaceutical, pet food, pet insurance, corporate practice and distribution
A major objective of the Partnership is to address the increasing prevalence of serious diseases and the declining health of our nation's pets by enhancing pet owners' perceived value of preventive veterinary care.
Together with veterinarians like you, we can work to improve the health of pets everywhere.
chipped, if you purchase your pet from a breader then you have to pay for the micro-chipping process from your pocket which is about $150). Failing to register, the owner is liable to pay heavy fines. During this process, the animal registration officials provides pet owners with various Insurance policies. In India too we have pet registration process (registration charges start from Rs. 800 for dogs), however we do not have any facility of micro-chipping and the registration process is not compulsory. The few pets that are insured in India, mostly consists of dogs and elephants. For example, police dogs like Labradors and German Shepards are normally insured. Also, companies like United India Insurance insures elephants in Kerala. The company has provided insurance cover to over 50 elephants of the Guruvayur temple. The major problem according to me that exits, is the difference in pet plans being offered in India and abroad. For example, most pet insurance plans overseas include insurance cover for veterinarian bills, which contributes towards major expenses. Whereas, this is not the case with pet-insurance policies being offered in India. They just insure pets against death due to accident or disease. Extra premium charges would have to be paid to cover additional risks such as accidents, lost or stolen cases, etc. Another reason, is the non-existence of promotion and advertisements in relation to pet insurance policies, which is the main reason for poor awareness in our country. Besides, media advertisements Insurance companies can also collaborate with various kennel clubs across India which definitely would result in creating more wide-spread awareness regarding insurance policies for pets. Looking at the situation in India, it seems currently most of the animals is only insured from a commercial viewpoint. for instance, there are various insurance plans for animals like horses, cattles and poultry but none for household pets.
Many pet owners know the benefits of pet insurance and why it is important for maintaining your pets good health. Like humans, a pet is also prone to getting sick or enduring injuries. When you think of how important medical insurance is for human beings, the same rings true for pets and pet insurance. Pet insurance Houston allows your pet to receive necessary treatments throughout their life and allows the pet owner to not stress about making timely medical bill payments. Now that you know why your pet needs pet insurance, you should know which pet insurance policy is the right one. Look at the policy terms of the pet insurance carefully and compare what you are getting with the price of the Pet Insurance San Diego policy. Make sure that it is worth the cost and you receive all coverage which you feel will be necessary to properly care for your family pet.
Make sure that you dont just pick the first pet insurance policy you come across. Thoroughly review the policy in addition to the pet insurance provider. You want to be sure that both the pet insurance and the policy provider are excellent overall. Pet owners should always obtain pet insurance for their pets. Doing so will make it more likely that medical bills for pet medical visits get paid and there is no stress revolving around how to pay for such bills. It also ensures that your pet will receive the treatment which he/she needs to stay healthy or get better should they become ill. There are plenty of Pet insurance Phoenix companies which offer such policies and you simply have to do a little searching in order to compile a list of potential insurance providers for pet insurance.
Snake Coyote Raccoon Squirrel Scorpion Fox Porcupine Ground Hog Skunk Rat If you feel the risk is significant for your cat, look for coverage of bite wounds, lacerations and the like. Treatment can run into hundreds if not thousands of dollars so ensuring you have the coverage for this type of incident is a smart move.
Car Accidents
We know your Cat doesnt drive, but if they are injured in a car a ccident are they properly covered for treatment? If your Cat frequently travels in the car with you check with your Car insurance to see if they offer any special riders for pets. Even if your Cat doesnt get into the car with you very often its something worth taking the time to look into just to be on the safe side.
Find out if any breed-specific illnesses are covered for your Cat
If the breed of your Cat has hereditary, pre-existing or breed-specific conditions they may not be covered and this may be the coverage you need the most. Check with the pet insurance company to see if they offer coverage and what percentage they will cover. Also check if treatments as well as prescriptions are included in the coverage.
In Closing
This list should give you some new ideas to add to whatever must have list youve got going before setting out to find the optimum pet insurance policy for your cat. While youre hunting around, take some time and review each policy very carefully. Finding a policy with the features you want at a price you can afford will make you and your cat very happy. Pets health has been around since 1997 offering customizable pet insurance coverage for cats based on four increasing levels of protection. They also offer a ten percent savings if you buy coverage for multiple pets. In this review well take a look at the different plans Pets health Care Plan has to offer you and your cat and the coverage their policies provide.
horses. However, other countries have insurance covers available for exotic pets like chameleons and turtles.
Lifetime cover: This policy covers expenses related to a pet contracting any long-term or chronic illness. The illnesses covered in this policy include arthritis, eczema or any other sickness that requires your pet to be treated by a vet for a long period of time. Under this type of policy, a policyholder is entitled to a specific sum of money every year. This maximum limit can be reset when the policy is renewed. This cover is especially available for pet insurance bought for dogs and cats.
Time-limited cover: Through this cover, pet owners receive financial protection for a specific period after a pet suffers an injury or contracts any disease that requires him/her to be treated by a vet. This cover is usually cheaper than the lifetime cover and is extremely popular among people who own crossbreed cats and are worried about incurring high treatment costs.
Money-limit cover: Through this cover, pet owners can receive monetary benefit for every condition that falls under the purview of pet insurance coverage. There is no time limit and a policyholder can claim for as long the money limit is not reached. This cover is generally costlier than the lifetime cover, but cheaper than the time-limited cover. In India, Pet Insurance is not yet popular. One of the reasons is that Insurance Companies actively do not advertise such covers. Insurance companies do not promote pet insurance because identification of the pet/ pedigree has always been a problem. However, if a pet owner seeks a cover and produces the necessary documents/certificate, insurance companies admit the proposal. Also, another reason for the unpopularity of such insurance is that a pet cover provides protection against death due to accident or disease, but does not cover the vets bills. In India, you can get your pet insured for any amount ranging from Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 50,000 depending on the breed and the insurance company. Also, most pet insurance policies in the country are dog oriented. This is also because many species of birds and animals are not allowed as pets in India. Insurance is mainly done for pedigreed dogs which are rare or valuable or both. Therefore, even though pet insurance is yet to catch up in India, it will surely pick up its pace in the coming years.
Health insurance for pets is gaining attraction these days. Newer and improved insurance policies that cover regular check-ups and routine care have been introduced. In a economic sense the pet insurance coverers the unexpected and the uncertain and expensive costs that might occur for your pet. Mostly pets will never need such care, but what if an unexpected accident or internal injuries could happen and you be slammed with a bill of $2,000. Now this is where you have to think.
Some pet health insurance plans. Please visit the links for more information 1. Union Plus Pet Health Insurance Protect against the unexpected cost of your pets' illnesses or injuries with Union Plus Pet Insurance. 2. Union Plus Pet Health Care Savings Cut the cost of routine veterinarian services for all the pets in your
household. Join the Union Plus program with Pet Assure and save 25% every time you visit a veterinarian in Pet Assure's growing network of participating veterinarians. There are no forms, no pet exclusions, no deductibles. And you'll save up to 30% on other pet services such as pet boarding, pet supplies, pet sitting, pet training and more.
3. Alumni Pet Health Insurance A wide variety of affordable protection plans to suit any dog or cat, on any budget.
Every year, more than one in three pets will fall ill or get injured. And although veterinarians can do amazing things, the fact remains that an unplanned surgery or a trip to the emergency room can run into the hundreds or thousands of dollars in a very short amount of time. But many of us are not financially prepared to afford the level of care that modern veterinary medicine can provide in treating our pets. With pet health insurance, pet parents never have to choose between an expensive but necessary treatment and a pets life.
You may also be able to purchase coverage for routine care coverage that reimburses you for vaccinations, office visits, and spaying or neutering. Routine care coverage can be convenient because it helps you channel your pet health expenses through one avenue.
Typically reimbursement takes 10 to 15 days. This means youll usually receive your reimbursement check well before your credit card bill comes.
Pet health insurance is an important issue to should discuss, and there has been a fair amount of research into this issue over the course of the last few years. In general, it is said that the vast majority of veterinarians are favorably disposed to the idea of pet health insurance. In fact, there is some pretty good data from the DVM Newsmagazine State of the Profession market research study conducted in 2006 that demonstrates just how vets feel about insurance.
76% of respondents reported that they would like to see greater use of pet health insurance by clients. 56% of respondents actively promote pet health insurance to clients. When you look at the demographic breakdown of the respondents in item one above you also see an interesting trend: younger female veterinarians view pet insurance more positively. A full 81% of them support the wider use of pet health insurance. Since most veterinarians entering primary practice these days are female, from the vets perspective, the future prospects for pet health insurance look good. Veterinaries .are interested in pet health insurance, but only if it offers what the client actually needs and does so in a straightforward manner. If a client is
unhappy after they have filed a claim because it turns out they did not understand the terms of their policy, it can reflect negatively on the vet. No vet wants to be in that position. Another interesting piece of data from the DVM Newsmagazine study dealt with the percentage of cases handled where cost either limited the treatment or was the cause for treatment being denied. Veterinarians reported that cost limited their treatment options 23% of the time, and in 14% of cases treatment was denied altogether due to financial constraints. When cost of treatment is an issue, 37% of the time the quality of veterinary care suffers, and animals end up suffering as a result. That is the primary reason veterinarians tell me they want to see greater use of pet health insurance by clients. They want to be able to provide the best care available. They want to be able to do what they were trained to do. Veterinary medicine has grown increasingly sophisticated over the last decade, in particular. The cost of some services and diagnostic procedures has also risen. And bear this in mind: the ultra sound machine the vet uses is made by the same company that makes the one your own physician uses. The vet does not get a discount on the machine because he or she makes less money per year than the average physician. Pet health insurance can help relieve the financial burden on the client and allow them to access the best care available. Peace of mind is a valuable thing when it comes to your pet.
Does the insurance plan end when my dog reaches a certain age?
Many policies are designed only for young, relatively healthy dogs. You may need a different policy entirely for an older dog or one with a chronic condition (and those are available, too).
Pet health insurance as a product is not available in India today due to the small market size of pet insurance. Due to the high costs of maintaining a pet and due to ever-increasing veterinary expenses, there will be a considerable number of people opting for pet health insurance in the next two years, said Dr Ashok Patil, Head-Rural Insurance, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance. In two years' time, it is hoped, there will be some pet health insurance products in the market.
ADVERTISING
Since the demand for pet insurance is not much at present, insurance companies are not devoting much time or money towards advertising and marketing costs. According to some insurance companies, nobody specifically comes looking for pet insurance and therefore they are not even putting up the insurance policy on their Web sites. Oriental Insurance offers pet life insurance. Looking at the trends, many insurance companies are exploring the option of including pet health insurance in the future. People who opt for pet life insurance will be prospective buyers for the health insurance cover, said an official from an insurance company who did not wish to be named. On an average, pet owners spend around Rs 2,000-3,000 on treatment of their pet every time it falls sick. I am emotionally attached to my dog and do not treat it as a financial asset. But I would go in for health insurance because medical expenses are skyrocketing, said a pet owner.
pet & $100 for non-de-sexed). Then the pet is micro-chipped on the back which on scanning provides its registration details (pet stores have all the animals microchipped, if you purchase your pet from a breeder then you have to pay for the micro-chipping process from your pocket which is about $150). Failing to register, the owner is liable to pay heavy fines. During this process, the animal registration official provides pet owners with various Insurance policies. In India too we have pet registration process (registration charges start from Rs. 800 for dogs), however we do not have any facility of micro-chipping and the registration process is not compulsory. The few pets that are insured in India, mostly consists of dogs and elephants. For example, police dogs like Labradors and German Shepards are normally insured. Also, companies like United India Insurance insures elephants in Kerala. The company has provided insurance cover to over 50 elephants of the Guruvayur temple. The major problem according to me that exits, is the difference in pet plans being offered in India and abroad. For example, most pet insurance plans overseas include insurance cover for veterinarian bills, which contributes towards major expenses. Whereas, this is not the case with pet-insurance policies being offered in India. They just insure pets against death due to accident or disease. Extra premium charges would have to be paid to cover additional risks such as accidents, lost or stolen cases, etc. Another reason, is the non-existence of promotion and advertisements in relation to pet insurance policies, which is the main reason for poor awareness in our country. Besides, media advertisements Insurance companies can also
collaborate with various kennel clubs across India which definitely would result in creating more wide-spread awareness regarding insurance policies for pets. Looking at the situation in India, it seems currently most of the animals is only insured from a commercial viewpoint. for instance, there are various insurance plans for animals like horses, cattles and poultry but none for household pets. This could only mean that most insurance companies are too busy cashing in on life and non-life policies and have not realised the immense potential that this market holds.
According to a research conducted by Research and Consultancy Enterprise (RACE) of Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad, there are about 2.2 million dogs in the Indian household with the population increasing by 26 per cent every year. The total pets are estimated to be around 4 million in India by experts. Internationally, pet insurance market seems to be experiencing a steady growth of about 10 per cent -15 per cent. "Pet insurance is almost negligible at the moment. People want to get their pets insured as the cost of their treatment and maintenance has gone up. Also, there are not enough recognised hospitals that can recommend the expenditure on treating a pet," says Binoy Sahee, one of the organisers of the India International Pet Trade Fair. Another factor is that a lot of people own pets which are not costly enough to lure insurance companies. "Dogs in India are not much costly, You can get a pet in Rs 3,000 easily. Since number of such pets is higher, companies do not find them attractive as the premium for them is very low," says Dr Vishal. He recounts an incident when a pet owner abandoned it due to increasing medical cost. "A man admitted his dog in my clinic in critical condition. After a few days, he stopped taking our calls as the medical expenditure was shooting beyond his limit. Pet insurance in this case could have been handy for him," says Dr Sharma. According to Sahee, its right time for the insurance companies to tap this market. "Pet owners are increasingly becoming more concerned about their pet's
welfare. Veterinary doctors also employ modern and expensive techniques and drugs for treatment. Both these factors result in a high maintenance cost of pets. So, it makes sense for insurance companies to seize the opportunity," he says.
Insurance Coverage
Dogs are insured against death due to accident and/or diseases contracted during the period of insurance subject to usual terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy.
Indemnity
Company to bear 80% of the claim amount and Insured to bear 20% of the claim amount which would be ascertained on the basis of Market Value as certified by Veterinary Doctor or Insured Value whichever is less.
Documents to Effect Insurance Proposal Form Veterinary Health Certificate from a qualified Veterinarian. Kennel Club certificate/ Photograph/tattooing
Claim Procedure
Intimation Duly completed claim form. Veterinary Certificate for death on Company's form. Post Mortem report on standard P.M. form. Photograph or any other document, if necessary.