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Accident and illness pet insurance helps cover unexpected bills if your cat or dog gets sick or injured. It's a step up from accident-only cover, covers between 70% and 100% of eligble vet bills and usually comes with very similar features to comprehensive pet insurance.
However, the amount you can claim per year is generally lower than comprehensive cover – meaning policies are often a little cheaper.
Not all insurers distinguish between accident and illness pet insurance and comprehensive cover.
This can cover vet bills caused by accidents that are someone else's fault, such as a car accident or allergic reaction to a snake bite. For example, if your dog gets injured in a fight with another animal and the vet bill comes to $500, pet insurance can generally cover between 80% and 100% of the costs.
This can cover vet bills associated with illnesses your pet might get, including cancer, skin, eye and ear conditions, and gastrointestinal problems. For example, if your pet needs surgery for cancer treatment costing $3,500, the average pet insurance policy could pay you $2,800.
Most accident and illness policies will cover you for the following:
Many comprehensive accident and illness insurance policies also come with the following inclusions:
Emergency boarding. If you're the pet's sole carer and you need to go to hospital for more than 5 consecutive days, a comprehensive policy can cover emergency boarding costs for your pet.
Essential euthanasia. No pet owner wants to think about this, but in certain circumstances, it's the most humane thing to do. Many accident and illness policies can cover the costs.
Paralysis tick benefit. If your pet needs treatment for tick paralysis, many accident and illness policies can pay at least $1,000 towards the costs.
Travel insurance. If you take your pet with you when you travel and they get sick or injured, many policies can cover overseas vet treatment for up to 60 days.
Routine care. This is usually an optional benefit that can be added on to comprehensive policies. It can help pay for preventative health care procedures including vaccinations, dental care and vet check-ups.
Accident and illness pet insurance is likely to cost you between $20 and $60 per month, according to Finder research.
We received quotes for the 560 dog breeds available in Australia and found that you're likely to pay around $780 per year for accident and illness cover.
However, there are several factors that impact the cost of accident and illness pet insurance. These include:
This is likely to be a factor for insuring dogs, not cats. Purebred or pedigree dogs are often more expensive to insure as they have more breed-related inherited conditions.
If your pet is from a shelter, you may not know all the details about their age, breed or health. Before taking out insurance, make sure you take your pet to the vet for a full check-up and ask them about any health problems they may be likely to develop.
Many pet insurance companies will charge an extra fee for insuring older animals as they are more likely to develop health issues. Some companies do not insure pets at all if they are beyond a certain age, usually around 9 years old. Most policies allow you to insure pets as young as 8 weeks old.
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