Mary Allen
It is a legal requirement that everyone in Germany has health insurance. In the meantime, however, there are also more and more animals that have such insurance cover.
Pet owners, in particular, like to ensure dogs and cats, because health insurance for four-legged friends can help significantly reduce potentially high veterinary costs in old age or in the event of illness.
The following article shows what is important in animal health insurance and which factors should be relevant for pet owners.
There are different forms of insurance for pets to choose from
When pet owners take out health insurance, the focus is often initially on the costs. These can vary greatly and depend, among other things, on the scope of the benefits of the insurance cover. For example, pure surgical insurance policies are available that only cover surgical costs. The monthly premiums here are significantly cheaper than with insurance policies that offer all-around protection and include numerous veterinary services.
Full health insurance for dogs or cats is correspondingly more expensive each month, but offers more comprehensive protection and associated financial relief in the event of illness.
Which animal species can be insured under which conditions?
In most cases, dogs and cats are insured with animal health insurance, but horses are also often included in similar insurance policies. Small animals, on the other hand, are not insured because their lifespan is rather short and health insurance is usually not worthwhile.
However, some companies now also offer insurance cover for rabbits; but these are in the minority. In principle, most providers of animal insurance only accept healthy animals. Dogs or cats with health restrictions or chronic illnesses, on the other hand, are usually not insured. The reason for this lies in the high veterinary costs caused by pre-existing conditions that burden the insurance company.
The age of the animal also plays a role in the insurance
Ideally, anyone considering providing their pet with health insurance coverage should take out a policy when the animal is young. In the case of a dog, it is advisable to take out insurance between the ages of zero and three years in order to keep the premiums as low as possible. Since the risk of illness and frequent visits to the vet increases with age, the insurance premiums for older animals are correspondingly higher.
Before purchasing a pet insurance policy, honest information about the age and health of the pet must be provided. Based on this, the insurance company makes a decision against or in favor of the animal.
It is not easy to make a blanket statement regarding the number of premiums for pet health insurance. Numerous factors play a role in determining the insurance premiums, and the premiums also vary significantly from provider to provider.
Basically, the cost of cat health insurance is lower than insurance for dogs. Cats can be insured for around €12 per month on average, while premiums for dogs start at around €20.
A comparison of contributions on the Internet can be helpful to compare providers in this area. With a few details about the animal species, age, breed, and state of health, animal owners can quickly determine what contributions each company is charging and then make a decision.