Pet Insurance Excess

The excess is the amount YOU, the policyholder, have to pay in the event you have to make a claim, meaning that your vet bills will never be fully reimbursed. Different insurers charge the excess in different forms, so always read the terms and conditions and compare excesses before selecting a provider.

 

Golden rule: check your terms and conditions before you buy and ask yourself the following 4 questions:

 

1. How much is the excess?

 

There’s no standard across the industry, so each insurer will charge you a different amount. This amount is usually flat, expressed in monetary terms, £65 for instance. However, it’s common for insurers to add a percentage excess when your pet gets older, 15% for instance. This percentage excess generally comes on top of the flat excess.

 

2. How do insurers charge the excess?

 

This can vary from insurer to insurer, so take a look at the exact policy wording. Some charge the excess by condition by policy year, some by condition by any 12-month period, others do by claim/incident.

Often, under lifelong policies, you will only need to pay the excess by condition by policy year: if your pet were to develop a condition that required treatment over 2 or more years, you would have to pay the excess every year for that condition, not for every claim you submit.

 

3. Is the excess only applicable to vet fees claims?

 

All policies have an excess for veterinary fees and third party liability (dogs only). Excesses can also apply to other benefits such as:
- Kennel/cattery fees
- Emergency repatriation
- Accidental damage
- Quarantine expenses and loss of document
- Travel cover

 

4. When do I need to pay my excess?

 

If you pay the vet bill up front and claim it back afterwards, then you don’t have to physically pay the excess to the pet insurance company. The excess is deducted from your claim reimbursement.

If you ask the insurer to pay the claim directly to the vet, then you will have to sort out the excess with your vet. The insurer will pay for treatments and medications (within terms and benefits of your policy), bar the excess, so this one will have to come out of your own pocket.