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Pet Insurance - Types of Pet Insurance CoverSearching for pet insurance can be a daunting task. There are so many different providers out there that offer pet insurance products and discounts when you sign up that, if you're not sure what you are looking for, trying to choose between them might become a time-consuming experience. To simplify matters then it is helpful to understand what types of pet insurance cover are available, and what the difference is between them. On this page we hope to shed some light on this subject for you. Essentially, when it comes down to it, all pet insurance may be divided into three types: Life Time Pet Insurance CoverLife long cover insures your pet for the duration of its life. It is ongoing cover that is renewed annually, and is an all-encompassing policy in that it tends not to exclude cover for conditions that your pet has suffered from and / or for which you have claimed on the insurance in the past. So, for example, if you claimed on your insurance for veterinary treatment for arthritis last year, you'll still be eligible to put future claims in for the same condition. The number of times you can claim may in fact be unlimited, enabling you to give your animal the very best in veterinary care regardless of how much it costs. However, the amount for which you can claim is normally capped on an annual basis to the maximum amount stated in the policy. Excess fees will of course apply to any claims made - and these fees can be quite high. Life long pet insurance is also the most expensive type of cover to maintain, the insurance premiums for it being the highest of the three options. But, you get what you pay for -- and with life long pet insurance cover you have a pretty comprehensive policy that will cover your pet for life. Per Condition Pet Insurance Cover (Condition Capped)Per condition cover is a more selective type of policy. The insurer sets a maximum amount for each new condition you can claim for subject to a time limit - normally 12 months but most insurers do not place a limit. Therefore you can make many claims as required as long as each one is for a new condition not claimed for in the past. So while your insurance premium may be cheaper the cover for that particular condition will cease when you reach the maximum amount set. It is therefore unsuitable for ongoing treatment of long-term illnesses. Annual Pet Insurance Cover (Time Capped)Annual cover tends to be the cheapest but least flexible pet insurance option. It is similar to per condition cover but there is a limit on the length of time a condition can be claimed for (usually 12 months from the date of first treatement). It will therefore cover treatments for illnesses, injury and disease for up to 12 months or once the maximum limit per condition is reached. Some insurers may also restrict the maximum amount you can claim over the 12 months.
It is not suitable for insuring medium or long-term illnesses, but is the most economical way to cover off ad-hoc treatments such as surgery and therapy for short-term conditions.
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