If you have a pet, you have certainly wondered about the benefits of taking out health insurance for your companion. But is it really useful? What does animal insurance cover? We take stock to help you see things more clearly, and you will see that this still represents a lot of savings over the year, especially if you have several pets.

Dog or cat health insurance: how does it work?

Health insurance for dogs or cats works almost like the mutual health insurance we have for ourselves and our family. Several options are available, to choose from depending on your needs and those of your animal and the budget you wish to allocate to this insurance.

Animal health insurance reimburses veterinary costs for pets (dogs, cats but also NAC) and covers the procedures carried out by the veterinarian: consultations, analyses, surgeries, x-rays, scanners, medications, etc.

Depending on the formula chosen, certain treatments, such as scaling or alternative medicine (osteopathy, acupuncture, homeopathy, herbal medicine or even balneotherapy) can be reimbursed.

As a general rule, pet health insurance also contributes to preventive veterinary costs such as vaccines, deworming, but also identification and sterilization.

 

Is health insurance for our pets useful?

In France, very few pet owners still take out health insurance for their companions. In France, veterinarian prices are free and can vary by one to two depending on the region. And this can sometimes be very expensive.

But if your dog needs veterinary care for its health, in the event of illness or accident, it is difficult not to treat it. These costs can quickly become very significant and impact your budget . This is where health insurance is very useful since it allows you to take care of your pet without fear of excessive expenses. Depending on the formula chosen, you can benefit from reimbursement of all or part of the veterinary costs.

Animal health insurance is therefore far from useless, especially if your pet is sick, elderly or must undergo specific medical treatment for its state of health.

Is animal health insurance compulsory?

When you own an animal, you are also responsible for it, whether for the damage it may cause to third parties, or for its living conditions and well-being.

It is important to distinguish civil liability from animal health insurance.

Civil liability is a mandatory guarantee . The Civil Code defines it as follows when owning an animal: “Any owner of an animal or any person having it in their care is responsible for any damage it may cause to others”. This means that your animal, whether it is a cat, a dog, a parrot, etc., must be covered by civil liability insurance which allows you to compensate a potential victim in the event of damage caused by your companion (bites, destruction, etc.). ). Generally, civil liability for an animal is part of your own civil liability insurance , which is often included in home insurance. However, it is important to ensure this. Please note, if you have unusual animals (snakes, spiders, reptiles, etc.), you may need to take out specific civil liability .

Animal health insurance is not compulsory . You can choose either to take out one or to fully insure your animal's veterinary costs. In France, it is not yet very widespread, unlike in northern European countries where taking out mutual health insurance for your pet is common. However, it is very useful, because it protects your companion in the event of an accident or illness and helps cover a large part of veterinary costs.

The different formulas offered to insure your animal: how to choose well?

The majority of pet insurance companies often offer 3 main categories of plans:

  • the basic formula : this is the cheapest and generally offers a reimbursement of 50 to 70% for illness and/or accidents. Half of the costs often remain your responsibility
  • the intermediate or comfort formula : a little more expensive than the basic formula, it is a good compromise since it generally includes costs linked to an illness, an accident, but also additional examinations and medications. The reimbursement rate varies between 60 and 90%. Some insurance companies offer coverage for vaccination and/or sterilization
  • the complete or premium formula : this is the high-end formula, more expensive, but which covers 90 or even 100% of the costs. In addition to the care covered by the other plans, it also provides for the payment of hospitalization costs, as well as euthanasia and the funeral of the animal. Some premium plans include the prevention package.
  • the prevention package : it is often offered “separate” from the different packages, because you can choose to subscribe to it optionally or not. It allows you to cover part of the expenses linked to everything relating to prevention (antiparasitics, vaccination, deworming, etc.).

How to be reimbursed for expenses?

Once you have chosen the plan that suits you and signed the insurance contract, the process of getting reimbursed for costs is very simple. The insurer will give you care sheets to give to the veterinarian during consultations. Once completed by the practitioner, a detailed invoice must be attached and sent to the insurance company.

Reimbursement is made within a few days to your bank account, depending on the contract signed and the applicable reimbursement rate. Please note : you are not reimbursed 50 to 100% of the invoice amount, but of the costs which are covered in your contract depending on the formula chosen.

A deductible can also be deducted from the reimbursement, but not all animal insurance companies apply a deductible. It is nevertheless important to know, when signing the contract, whether a deductible is applied, because it can either take the form of a fixed amount or a percentage and be applied to each reimbursement or simply to the first reimbursement requests of the year.

Finally, you should also know that very often, an animal health insurance contract is accompanied by an annual reimbursement ceiling , which means that there is a maximum amount that the insurance reimburses each year. From the moment it is reached you will no longer receive any reimbursement. You have to wait until the following year to be reimbursed again (even for a premium plan).

What are the points to watch out for when subscribing to animal health insurance?

To choose the right formula, the one that suits you best and which best reimburses veterinary care for your animal. Some essential points need to be studied:

  • the cost of the formula : depending on the insurance companies, the same formula can have a price that varies from simple to double. It is therefore important to compare in detail to avoid too high a monthly payment which also does not guarantee you a better repayment.
  • the reimbursement rate : this is important since it is the rate that will apply to the amounts of care. The rate varies between 50 and 100% depending on the formula chosen.
  • the excess : it is not systematic, but it is useful to know if the insurance you have chosen practices it since it is an amount that will be withheld from your reimbursements
  • the amount of the annual reimbursement ceiling : it is very important to know this since it is the maximum amount that the insurer will reimburse you over a year. Once the ceiling is reached, you will no longer be reimbursed for your veterinary costs. It is very variable and more or less important depending on the formula chosen
  • the waiting period : depending on the insurers, it varies from a few days to several months and runs from the moment the contract is signed.
  • the repayment period : here too, this is important since you must advance the costs before being reimbursed. Some insurance companies reimburse very quickly (48 hours) while others wait several weeks.
  • termination conditions : to avoid and limit the departures of their policyholders, certain insurers put in place very specific termination conditions which it is good to know before taking out a contract. There are companies that charge cancellation fees, although this is completely illegal.
  • exclusion conditions : there are sometimes very arbitrary exclusion conditions. Some insurers no longer cover an animal that is too old or sick, or refuse to insure certain breeds of dog or cat, for example.

As you can see, health insurance for our pets is very useful in covering a large part of veterinary costs. However, it is advisable to compare prices and reimbursement rates to be sure to take out the insurance that suits you best.

Maryline Pattin