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Woof! Your pets can get health insurance

Only a small percentage of parents are taking health insurance for their pets, and that’s because awareness is low
Last Updated 19 February 2020, 15:10 IST

Health insurance for pets is now available, but not many pet parents in Bengaluru are aware of it. New India, United India, and Oriental Insurance are among the companies offering pet health insurance. Policies cover pre- and post-hospitalisation expenses, and cancer and heart ailments.

Premium ranges from Rs 120 to Rs 2,000 a year per pet. Dogs older than eight years are not insured. The basic premium is five per cent of the sum insured. New India Assurance offers dog insurance policies that cover death from accidents and diseases contracted during the period of insurance. Bank Bazaar aggregates policies of many kinds, including those that cover loss or theft of the pet, accidental poisoning and third-party liability.

Death from rabies, distemper, viral hepatitis, viral enteritis and leptospirosis, and loss or injury due to war and foreign hostility are excluded.

Keep in mind

One of the requirements for pet insurance is that the dog must be registered. A certified veterinary doctor will examine the pet as part of the process.

Apart from breed, sex and age, identification markers include tattooing, a nose print and a photograph. The insurance company bears up to 80 per cent of the claim amount.

Welcome move

In 2019, a report by India Pet Food Market Forecast and Opportunities said Bengaluru, besides Mumbai and Delhi, is one of the cities with an exponential rise of pet ownership.

Dr Pawan Kumar, veterinarian, surgical emergency department at Cessna Lifeline Veterinary Hospital, says pet parents claim reimbursement on hospitalisation bills. “Just like health insurance for people, pet insurance is also cashless. I’ve come across parents who bring along pets for immediate surgeries. It’s difficult for many to handle the costs, so insurance comes in handy,” he says. Cessna has tied up with Vetina Pet Insurance to help parents who come in for medical emergencies.

Only about two per cent of pet parents are taking health insurance for their pets, according to a rough estimate. Anand Vishwanath, founder of Anvis Inc, a company that provides pet fostering, was speaking to pet insurance agencies but wasn’t fully convinced it was for him. “Most policies have schemes specific to the breed of the dog, and we didn’t get any clarity on the case for mixed breeds. And while the
insurance companies say they provide ‘pet health insurance’, it’s mostly only for dogs. Cows are considered livestock, but what about pets like cats, fish and so on?” he says.

Companies offering pet health insurance

New India: Insures dogs between eight weeks and eight years. Premium charged is 5% of sum insured. The company also insures sheep, goats, cattle, pigs, camels, poultry, duck, rabbit, elephant, and inland fish.

United India: Covers both exotic and indigenous breeds of animals. Policies cover permanent and total disability and accidental death.

Oriental: Policies cover horses, dogs and elephants. Dogs between eight weeks and eight years are insured. Premium ranges from Rs 200 to Rs 10,000 per animal per year.

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(Published 19 February 2020, 14:53 IST)

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