Can I Have Two Pet Insurance Policies Uk
Can I Have Two Pet Insurance Policies Uk
“It’s one of those days where my cat’s staring at me like he knows something I don’t. I’m over here Googling pet insurance policies while he’s busy plotting world domination from his favorite sunbeam. But hey, at least we’re getting some serious info about how to protect our pets from the chaos of life.”
Having pet insurance helps to cover undocumented vet bills that you may incur. If your dog accidentally injures itself or gets sick, you can pay for the resulting vet bills. But pet insurance is not without its limits. A plan will cover only a set percentage of vet bills, and there are per-claim and annual limits on how much your insurer will pay.
If you want a higher level of financial protection, it begs the question: Can I get more than 1 pet insurance policy? So, can you have more than 1 insurance policy for your pet? But several key reasons taking out multiple pet insurance policies is generally not a good idea. Let’s examine why a bit more closely
Can You Have 2 Pet Insurances At The Same Time?
Can you have 2 pet insurance policies at once? But you cannot file a claim on both policies for the same incident and expect two separate payouts for the same treatment.
And filing 2 claims with 2 different insurers for the same incident is flat-out fraud, and can lead to fines and jail time.
Many insurers will ask you to declare whether your pet has another plan when you submit a claim on your pet insurance. Read. You are legally bound to be truthful, and you must tell your provider if any other insurance covers your pet.
Some insurers will also deny a claim if 2 policies cover your dog, so it’s essential to read the policy documents carefully for all the terms and conditions before buying coverage.
To learn more about how it works and what it covers, see our Pet Insurance 101 guide.
2 Policies Vs 1: Which Is Better?
Are you considering 2 pet insurance policies for your fur-child? In most cases, it just isn’t financially worth it. They may feel tempted to cover their bases with 2 separate carriers, thinking it gives them twice as much coverage, but that’s an illusion at best; no matter how many policies they have, they can only file a single claim for a single incident with a single insurer. It is usually better to keep it all straightforward and pay 1 premium on 1 policy.
Now there is a case where having 2 policies simultaneously may make sense. Imagine, for example, that you’re transitioning your dog to a new insurance plan. On average, you’ll have to wait between 2 and 6 weeks before the new coverage takes effect. (Longer waiting periods may apply for other conditions.) So if you’ve previously canceled your old policy, your pet won’t be insured during the waiting period.
For some dogs and their pet parents, this is no biggie. But some people like the peace of mind that always having some form of financial safety net in place provides, so you may want to retain your existing policy until you meet the waiting period on the new one. This will require paying premiums on 2 policies at the same time, but it may be worth it to make sure you’re always covered.
Just keep in mind that, if you file a claim on your current plan while waiting on another policy, the condition you’re filing a claim on is likely to be considered a pre-existing one in the future by your new insurance provider.
Pet Insurance Alternatives
Pet insurance is often the right choice for pet parents in need of assistance paying vet bills. It’s relatively cheap, covers those vital emergencies that can occasionally pop up, and it will very often easily pay for itself over time.
But that’s not your only way to keep up with vet bills. A few other options you may want to consider instead of pet insurance include:
- Credit card or emergency savings account. Setting aside money in a “rainy-day fund,” or using a spare credit card for emergencies, can get you through unanticipated vet costs. But now you have credit card interest rates to contend with, and it may take you years to build enough in your emergency fund to pay for veterinary care.
- Emergency fund. A special fund for emergency pet expenses is another option to consider
- Cost-sharing platforms. Community health plans like Eusoh’s cost you a monthly membership fee to share the cost of veterinary bills with a group of pet parents. Read our Eusoh review for all the info on how it works.
- Wellness plans. While pet insurance reimburses you for surprise veterinary bills, wellness plans pay for those routine medical expenses you know you can expect. We mean bloodwork, vaccines and parasite preventative treatments. Wellness plans cover your pet’s preventive care expenses reimbursed within 24 hours. So if you are looking for preventive care coverage, shop wellness plans to find the best fit for your pet!
Are you Can’t decide on the pet insurance policy? It’s worth shopping around to find the right financial protection for you and your pet. For most pet parents, then, pet insurance and/or wellness coverage offers the right kind and amount of protection, so shop around to secure the right cover for your pet at a price you can afford.
Can you get two pet health insurance policies for the same dog?
There can be a couple of reasons you’d want to double insure a dog. Maybe you’re looking to change dog insurance but don’t want a lapse in coverage. Maintaining your current policy while the new pet insurance waiting period passes may be a possible solution. Pet insurance waiting periods, which are the lengths of time before a policy goes into effect, are standard at 14 to 30 days for illnesses and between 24 hours and 15 days for accidents, depending on the carrier.
Or maybe one provider excels at accidental injuries and the other has a higher reimbursement rate that you tap for pricier vet visits. In some other cases, you might choose to maintain an insurance plan because it covers your dog’s chronic health problem that would probably not be covered under a new policy as a pre-existing condition.”
Ultimately, getting more than one pet insurance policy is not a good idea as you essentially pay double the premiums. Also, if many insurance companies will find out that you have two policies, they will deny your claim in order not to be a victim of insurance fraud. That way, you would be paying double for nothing, because you wouldn’t have any coverage.
Conclusion
Multi-pet insurance can be more economical and easier to manage than taking out separate policies for each one of your pets if you own more than one dog. Dog pet insurance for two dogs functions like regular pet insurance but covers multiple dogs on the same policy. Multi-pet insurance discounts: Most insurance companies offer an incentive for enrolling more than one dog or cat, but the specifics vary.
FAQ
How does multi pet insurance work? It’s simple. Take out one policy and add multiple cats and dogs. You can usually insure a combination of dogs and cats at the same time – they may not get on in real life, but they can share one policy.
Multi Pet Insurance lets you pick different levels of cover for each pet you insure. As a thank you, you’ll get a 15% discount on each policy for each pet. If you have a few furry friends, Multi is the cheapest Pet Insurance we offer.
Dogs are inherently social animals that live well together in groups, but that does not mean that all dogs get along. Most dogs will welcome a new sibling, but it is not always smooth sailing. The furry family member you have now will face many changes when a new dog enters the picture and may feel a bit displaced.
Up to three pets can be covered on one plan with a single deductible with MetLife Pet Insurance policies. This is the amount pet owners are responsible for under the terms of the policy before they can be reimbursed. Also, the covered expenses of all pets on the policy can contribute to the deductible.
You can increase your level of cover at renewal. If your pet already has a condition, and you change to a policy with a higher limit, we’ll cover valid claims for this condition at your previous lower limit.
