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Pet Insurance|The terms of the five plans on the market are very different, only cats and dogs are neutered and vaccinated are not covered

2021-07-24T00:10:18.846Z


As a master, I certainly want pets to accompany myself for a long time. However, the lively baby will inevitably get sick and will also enter the days of faltering. Pet treatment in Hong Kong is not cheap, and the consultation fee generally costs $


As an owner, of course, I want my pet to be with me for a long time. However, the lively baby will inevitably get sick and will also enter the days of faltering. Pet treatment in Hong Kong is not cheap, and the consultation fee generally starts at $220, such as It costs more than 1,000 yuan for blood tests, sound waves, etc. To protect the health of pets and avoid being overwhelmed by expensive medical expenses in the future, in recent years, some owners will start to insure their children when they are young, but there are many types of pet medical insurance on the market. , What else does the owner need to consider before applying for insurance?


"Hong Kong 01" integrated 5 pet insurance plans on the market, and interviewed two dog owners to share their reasons for buying or refusing to apply for insurance. They all agreed that the current insurance plan has room for improvement.

Luo Shaoxiong, president of the International Professional Insurance Consulting Association, reminded that policyholders need to carefully read the terms of the insurance policy and make a pre-comparison to understand the characteristics of each plan.


In recent years, pet health insurance has become a hot topic among owners of cats and dogs.

(Photo by Yu Ruijing)

In recent years, pet medical insurance has become a hot topic among cats, dogs, and dogs. Most pet insurances do not cover conditions that existed or occurred before the insurance or during the waiting period of the insurance, nor do they cover conditions caused by sterilization, ligation, or alternative treatments. And the costs caused by diseases that can be prevented by vaccines, the broker may adjust the monthly price according to the species after application. Some companies require pets to undergo a physical examination before applying for insurance. The types of insured pets are limited to cats and dogs. The average life expectancy of a chinchilla is about 10 to 20 years, but it is also not insured. The age at which pets are insured ranges from 4 months to 11 years.

One Degree, a virtual insurance company, was established 5 years ago. It is well-known for launching "gross insurance" pet insurance. It advertises that there is no age limit when renewing the insurance, and pets can get life-long health protection.

When the representative of One Degree accepted the inquiry, he pointed out that the contents of pet insurance products available on the market are different, including product features and exclusions. The owner should choose the most suitable plan according to his needs. As for individual failed claims, it is based on the judgment of the veterinarian. The main reason is that the claim items are not included in the coverage.

Sharing plan is for people who keep multiple pets

Blue Cross (Asia Pacific) Insurance Co., Ltd. ("Blue Cross") is another company that launched pet insurance in Hong Kong. A pet insurance survey was conducted last year and found that the largest number of respondents (32%) were based on having more than one pet insurance company at home. Pets refused to purchase insurance due to expensive premiums and financial considerations. For this reason, a sharing plan was introduced, which is suitable for owners who keep multiple pets at the same time. All insured pets can be jointly insured under one insurance policy.

In addition, each insurance company's plan has its own characteristics. For example, the "Blue Cross" plan will provide behavioral treatment protection for pets due to mental and emotional problems caused by injuries, and pay for pet owners who are hospitalized for more than 4 consecutive days. Custody fees, etc.

In order to balance risks, insurance companies will set out exclusions for insurance products, but they have always reviewed the terms of the insurance policy and market demand, such as relaxing the requirement that cats only need to be implanted in chips, and more and more dogs of different breeds are also open Insured.

When asked whether it will expand to other pets in the future, representatives of the two insurance companies both stated that insured pets must have a complete official registration mechanism to identify insured pets. When the medical services or support for pets is relatively transparent and structured, It is not excluded to extend pet insurance to other animal categories, but for the time being, the insurance will mainly cover cats and dogs.

Maggie's bully dog ​​had seen a doctor because of belly irritation, and recovered about 80% of the medical expenses after claiming compensation.

(Respondents provide pictures)

Bully dogs are susceptible to skin diseases

Dog owner Maggie adopted a 1-year-old American bully in April of this year. He came into contact with a pet insurance plan on social platforms. After thinking about it for a while, she decided to buy entry-level pet insurance for her dog. She describes her dog. It is more "difficult" because bully dogs are prone to skin diseases.

She confessed that pet insurance is not cheap. It costs $4,560 a year to insure her own bully dog. She still chooses to insure because she does not want her pet to get sick in the future. The owner is under tremendous psychological pressure and still needs to "live and live."

After applying for the insurance for a period of time, Maggie’s dog went to see a doctor due to belly irritation. She described the subsequent claim procedure as simple, just fill out the application form and upload the receipt. It takes three weeks from application to successful claim, and it takes about 80% of the claim back. Medical fees.

Maggie also has some friends who buy cat insurance. She quoted a friend saying that cats are more likely to get sick than ordinary pets. After calculations, they found that the amount of insurance is similar to the amount of annual doctor visits. Therefore, she believes that "the same old money should be placed in the insurance. will be better".

Maggie said frankly that there is room for improvement in pet insurance on the market. She understands that sterilization, vaccination, etc. are not included in the coverage because these medical services are not necessary, but believes that the current coverage is still inflexible. For example, pet tooth inflammation is a common phenomenon. However, the plan does not include tooth cleaning services. Inflammation will affect their daily eating. It is hoped that insurance companies should use whether it will affect the daily life of pets as an indicator to formulate insurance plans.

The dog owner, Miss Chen, believes that she saves a sum of money every month for back-up medical expenses to be more flexible.

(Photo by Yu Ruijing)

Dog owners claim that it is difficult to claim compensation for pets in the gray area, and they would rather save back-up medical expenses by themselves

Many owners are interested in pet insurance, but there are not many "cat slaves" and "dog slaves" who choose to insure in the end. Most of them think pet insurance is expensive and the terms are vague.

The dog owner, Miss Chen, adopted a Shiba Inu four years ago. She is now 5 and a half years old and is in her prime of life, but she admits that she has no plans to take out insurance in the future.

She believes that the pet protection plan does not meet the actual needs of the owner. For example, Shiba Inu or large dogs are prone to cataracts, joints and other diseases, but some companies will not be covered for reasons such as congenital and genetic diseases, and the terms are also correct. Insufficient explanation of congenital and genetic diseases makes it impossible for customers to be sure whether they are insured or not at the time of claim.

In addition, Ms. Chen also pointed out that pets may face the problem of refusal to protect them when they are old. Even though there is a guarantee amount of up to tens of thousands of yuan each year, the pets can hardly be exhausted in the young and vigorous period, and they are most needed when they are in their old age. Because of this insurance money, I believe that instead of having to go through the insurance company to check whether it is insured after every medical treatment, it is better to save a monthly amount of money for back-up medical expenses. On the contrary, it is more flexible and flexible.

+2

The cat industry’s “No. 1 Killer” disease is not covered by the Acupuncture Medical Insurance Plan

There are also many online owners who have discussed the issue of purchasing pet insurance. Some people think that there are many gray areas in the terms of pet insurance. Take Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) as an example. Both cats and kittens are fatal, but because the symptoms of the disease are vague, if the disease was determined by the veterinarian to exist before the insurance, it will not be insured.

In addition, the treatment of peritonitis is currently only possible through long-term injections. It takes about 90 days to complete the entire course of treatment with daily injections. The treatment cost is about 20,000 to 40,000 yuan. It is currently difficult to purchase these injections for peritonitis in Hong Kong, but any injections are not approved by a veterinarian. The acupuncture and medicine provided are not recognized by the medical insurance plan, and it is difficult for the owner to claim the fee for the acupuncture and medicine for the cat.

Insurance experts advocate relaxing the age limit for renewal

Luo Shaoxiong, president of the International Professional Insurance Consulting Association, said that most of the disputes about pet insurance are due to the fact that the policyholders did not carefully read the terms of the policy. The general public decided to apply for insurance after being introduced by friends, but did not have a good grasp of the content and terms of the policy. Or lack of clear explanations and introductions by the intermediary and policyholders, leading to various misunderstandings.

Luo Shao-hsiung also noticed that as the life span of pets is increasing, some pet insurance plans should relax the renewal age restrictions and open up special cat and dog breeds to increase their appeal.

He suggested that the owner should pay attention to the following six points before applying for insurance:

1. Compare premiums


2. Compare coverage


3. Pay attention to exclusions (first take your pet for physical examination to determine exclusions such as congenital and genetic diseases)


4. Understand the compensation procedures (what proofs are required to submit, Speed)


5. Report truthfully


6. Compare company backgrounds (handling medical insurance experience, expertise and word of mouth)


Law Shao-hsiung pointed out that there are currently more than 100 insurance companies in Hong Kong, and only a dozen provide pet insurance plans. As pet insurance is not compulsory, there is little competition.

He uses car insurance as an example. The annual premium is $3,000, but the amount of compensation for personal injury can be as high as 100 million.

The government now advocates that owners implant chips for pets. Luo Shao-hsiung believes that the government can also implement compulsory insurance for certain dogs. For example, the third insurance can provide protection in the event of dog injury. The greater the competition, the market will More prosperous, he believes that insurance companies' plans will also be more complete, such as adjusting premiums, coverage, compensation and speed to attract consumers.

[Pet Insurance] Blue Cross launches new crown virus protection for cats and dogs Get up to 2,000 free cash allowances. Pet health | Beware of dogs being bitten by cattle ticks in hot and humid summers. Owners suffer from Lyme disease. [Pet Insurance] OneDegree launches "Premium Pet Plan" '' Provides annual medical insurance coverage of up to 70,000 yuan

01Community

Source: hk1

All news articles on 2021-07-24

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