In 2024, dogs and cats have become full-fledged members of our families. To watch over them and guarantee their health, you can take out animal health insurance which will cover all or part of their veterinary costs. Just as we do for our own health insurance, choosing the right insurance for our pets requires evaluating and understanding the offers available on the market.
Find out how to find the best pet health insurance, to meet the needs of your dog or cat, without exceeding your budget. Among the criteria to take into account: the level of coverage to determine the most relevant formula, the price, any deductibles or even additional guarantees and options.
New buyer or experienced adopter, our team shares with you its practical advice for choosing the animal health insurance you need and guaranteeing the best possible care for your faithful companion.
Why take out pet insurance?
Taking out pet insurance has many advantages: anticipation and management of your dog's health expenses, access to care, peace of mind… Let's take a closer look at the 5 advantages offered by animal health insurance.
1. Financial protection against high veterinary costs
A simple visit to the veterinarian costs on average €40 and an emergency consultation up to €80 or €100. Added to this are diagnostic costs in the event of an accident, such as blood tests or x-rays. Veterinary care is therefore expensive, especially in the event of an emergency or serious illness.
Pet insurance can help reimburse a significant portion, or even all, of veterinary costs. In fact, contract coverage varies from 50% to 100% of actual costs: depending on the formula you choose, the cost of a consultation or surgery can therefore be fully covered.
2. Access to quality care for your dog or cat
By having animal health insurance, adopters are more inclined to consult a veterinarian at the first signs illness or discomfort in their pet because they know they will be able to manage the associated costs. This promotes regular medical monitoring and guarantees quality care for your companion.
3. Foresight for the future
Even healthy pets may need medical care at some point in their lives, whether for vaccinations, regular checkups, or unexpected treatments. This is why it is recommended not to wait until your dog or cat is in pain to take out an insurance contract.
In fact, insurers generally impose a subscription age limit and there may be waiting periods, that is to say a period of a few days to a few months, during which your four-legged friend is not covered. So it’s better to anticipate!
Mutual insurance for animals therefore offers peace of mind, planning expenses related to routine care and unforeseen events.
4. Coverage in the event of accident and/or illness
Depending on the contract chosen, you can benefit from a treatment at the veterinarian in different cases:
- after an accident, for example your pet is hit by a car or injured after a fall
- if he is sick
- if he has to have surgery
- for vaccinations, health checks, treatments against parasites (according to the formula subscribed)
Your animals thus receive the appropriate care, whatever the situation.
Good to know: if the medical care concerns a congenital or hereditary illness, this will certainly be excluded from any reimbursement. Be sure to read the insurance contract carefully before signing it.
5. Customizing options according to your needs
Pet insurance often offers a range of options and deductible levels. You therefore have the possibility to personalize your contract based on the specific needs of your pet and your budget.
For example, you can take out a “prevention package”, which will specifically cover vaccination, sterilization, scaling or health check-ups. Do not hesitate to ask the insurer for advice.
6. Additional support and veterinary advice
Some pet health insurance companies offer additional services, such as veterinary helplines, nutrition counseling, animal welfare programs, and more. A real plus for adopters concerned about the well-being of their animal!
For example, Dalma offers 7 programs on education and nutrition and Assuropoil offers search assistance if your pet is lost.
What are the steps to choose the best health insurance for your pet?
To begin, it is important to understand how pet insurance works. Insurers offer several levels of reimbursement (varying the price), which can be simplified as follows:
- basic contract : reimbursement of expenses between 50% and 70% of actual costs, often includes deductibles and coverage limits;
- intermediate contract : coverage of 70 or 80%, with an annual reimbursement ceiling of around €1,500 or €2,000;
- premium contract : total coverage of veterinary expenses
There are often several intermediate levels of coverage between these 3 types of offers, in order to meet the needs of as many people as possible. It is then the deductibles, the reimbursement ceilings and the prevention packages which distinguish the formulas from each other.
👉 A pet insurance comparator makes it easy to find the best offers in your price range. You have access to details of guarantees and prices to choose the right animal health insurance.
Assess your pet's needs
Consider the age, breed, gender and current health of your dog or cat. Indeed, certain breeds are more prone to certain diseases than others. For example, German Shepherds may suffer from hip dysplasia and French Bulldogs may suffer from respiratory or eye problems. Likewise, an apartment cat does not run the same risks as a cat with access to the outdoors.
Also consider their preventive health care needs (vaccinations, regular check-ups, treatments against parasites, etc.), as well as any pre-existing or hereditary medical conditions.
Determine your budget
How much are you willing to spend on your pet's health insurance? Set a monthly or annual budget.
Consider not only monthly premiums, but also deductibles, out-of-pocket limits and fees that might not be covered.
What is a franchise? You will have to pay this amount once a year or for each medical procedure. Contracts including a deductible are generally less expensive.
Compare different offers and check coverage
We recommend that you compare the different prices and insurance packages for dogs and cats in order to assess which offer is most appropriate for your situation and that of your companion:
- Kozoo offers a tailor-made offer and fair pricing to control your budget,
- Goodflair does not include any deductible or handling fees,
- Santé Vet is more expensive but the prevention package is present in all formulas…
It’s up to you to decide which selection criteria are essential and which are “bonus”.
Consider customization options
Look for insurance companies that offer customization options to tailor coverage to your pet's specific needs.
For example, Kozoo offers the prevention option (vaccinations, deworming, sterilization), civil liability and death benefit.
Fidanimo offers additional civil liability coverage and Animomut increases your reimbursement limit in the event of non-use.
Check out reviews and testimonials
Look for online reviews and testimonials from other dog and cat owners about the insurer you're considering. This can give you insight into customer satisfaction, refund times, complaints handling or customer service quality. Valuable information before you commit!
Ask questions about the pet insurance contract
We encourage you to contact the insurer you have chosen directly to ask questions:
- concrete examples of support
- reimbursement terms and deadlines
- start date of coverage (in the event of a waiting period)
- exclusions of guarantees, etc.
Make sure you fully understand the terms and conditions before committing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but you are often hired for 1 year: you can therefore change insurance after this period. However, make sure you understand the termination conditions of your current contract before subscribing to the offer.
