January 30, 2023, 1:51 pm | Read time: 12 minutes
Injuries and illnesses of beloved pets can quickly become a financial trap that pet owners are unprepared for. A surgery insurance for pets protects against high veterinary costs in the event of an accident or illness requiring surgery. This allows pet owners to focus entirely on their four-legged friends. But which one is really worth it?
Pets often hold the status of family members. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a rabbit, a cat, a dog, or another animal. Once loved, the illnesses and accidents of one’s own pet become a test of endurance. Unfortunately, this applies not only emotionally but also financially. A surgery insurance for pets provides security and relief. We reveal what to look for when choosing an insurance provider and plan, and present various plans.
Overview
These Benefits Come with Pet Surgery Insurance
Surgery insurance is a no-brainer for many pet owners, while some still hesitate with full health insurance. Once pet owners find a suitable plan in the pet surgery insurance comparison, the list of benefits quickly shows why:
- financial protection for surgeries due to accidents or illnesses
- carefree care for your pet
- control over coverage and premium costs by choosing an appropriate insurance plan
The Best Pet Surgery Insurances Compared: What Matters
When searching for the best pet surgery insurance, pet owners need to know the key points where good insurance offers differ from mediocre plans.
Cost Coverage and Limits
One of the most important aspects of getting pet surgery insurance is the question of cost coverage and limits. This includes, among other things, how many times the veterinary fee schedule the costs are covered.
Depending on various factors, such as the age of the pet when the insurance is taken out, some insurance companies only offer a percentage reimbursement of the incurred costs. Other plans have an agreed-upon benefit amount. If this is exceeded, the policyholder bears all additional costs.
Especially with expensive or complex treatments, some plans quickly reach their limit, and pet owners must find a way to cover the costs. Therefore, a thorough comparison of plans before signing up is always advisable. Additionally, it’s worth checking whether an annual maximum amount is part of the insurance conditions, whether there is a prepayment requirement, and how easy it is to apply for cost coverage.
Coverage Scope
Pet surgery insurances cover the costs of an operation–that much is certain. What differentiates the plans is the coverage of costs associated with the operation of a pet. This includes diagnostic tests the day before surgery, which are not covered by all plans.
Additionally, pet owners should be aware that not every operation can be performed on an outpatient basis. Moreover, post-operative care with medications, bandages, follow-up examinations, and accommodation in an animal clinic can also incur significant costs. Many insurance offers include post-operative care in the surgery plan. However, there are differences in quality and duration.
Exclusion of Insurance Cases
Most pet surgery insurances have a waiting period for covering costs when it comes to illness-related surgeries. Surgeries due to accidents, on the other hand, are immediately covered by good insurance providers. However, it’s also worth checking the contract documents: There is often a general short waiting period and an extended waiting period for specific illnesses. Some surgeries are not covered by the insurance at all. Pet owners must assess the risk themselves.
Those who take out surgery insurance for their pet at an older age may risk not meeting the deadline and being left with the costs. Additionally, it’s important to consider whether breed-specific illnesses are also covered. Especially with some dog breeds, these occur very frequently due to breeding. Owners of purebred dogs should pay particular attention to choosing an insurance plan that covers breed-specific illnesses and does not exclude them.
Our Recommendations for Pet Surgery Insurances
In an emergency, pet owners should not have to worry about financing a procedure. A surgery insurance for your pet provides relief, allowing the focus to be entirely on the recovery of your pet. Finding the right plan can seem complicated, which is why we present five plans here.
Agila Surgery Cost Protection for Dogs and Cats: Combined Protection
This surgery insurance for dogs and cats provides coverage for surgeries resulting from accidents or illnesses of the pet. The requirement is that the surgery is performed under anesthesia and requires a surgical procedure, meaning incision and suture. The insurance also covers post-operative care following the surgery, including items like physiotherapy and medications.
The plans offered are Surgery Cost Protection 24, Surgery Cost Protection, and Surgery Cost Protection Exclusive. These differ only in terms of the insurance sum cap and the partial cost coverage. The insurance premium for dogs depends on the age of the pet at the time of contract signing and the breed. For cats, differentiation is made only by age at the time of insurance signing, not by breed.
Price: from approximately ten euros per month
Advantages:
- coverage of high costs included
- no deductible
- billing up to four times the veterinary fee schedule
- breed-inclusive insurance plan without exclusion of typical illnesses
- no complicated health check before insurance signing
- free choice of doctor and clinic
- option for direct billing
- easy submission of invoices
- quick cost reimbursement
- no hidden costs
- coverage of surgery costs incurred abroad
Disadvantages:
- age limit for entry into individual insurance plans
Also interesting: Should I Insure My Cat?
Zurich Pet Surgery Insurance: Treatment Certificate
This insurance plan is under the umbrella of Zurich Insurance but is offered by a partner insurance company of Zurich, namely Uelzener Insurance for dogs, cats, and horses. Pet owners are covered for surgeries necessary due to accidents or illnesses.
The insurance plans and conditions vary depending on the type of animal. Therefore, we will only discuss the Zurich Pet Surgery Insurance for dogs regarding the advantages, disadvantages, and key features of the insurance plan.
Price: calculated individually
Advantages:
- free choice of doctor and clinic in all plans
- insurance can be taken out for the single or double rate of the veterinary fee schedule
- no differentiation in insurance premium for different dog breeds
- subsidy for castration
- partial coverage of costs for a chip implant
- insurance can start from the third month of the dog’s life
- no age limit for entry into the insurance plan
- no annual limit
- foreign coverage for up to six months included
- coverage of homeopathic treatments when performed by a veterinarian
Disadvantages:
- prepayment requirement at the veterinarian
- reimbursement amount depends on the dog’s age at insurance entry (100 percent up to the 5th birthday, 80 percent up to the 8th birthday, then 60 percent)
HanseMerkur Dog Surgery Insurance: Optimal for Dogs
With this insurance plan, pet owners make a good choice. The performance level is comparatively high. Additionally, the plan was rated “very good” in the dog surgery insurance comparison by Stiftung Warentest in 2021 and is explicitly recommended for the example dogs.
By choosing one of the three available plan models, dog owners can weigh costs and risks against each other and make an appropriate decision. The available plans are Smart, Easy, and Best. The main differences, aside from coverage, are the maximum annual reimbursement amount and the maximum reimbursement rate according to the veterinary fee schedule.
Price: calculated individually, for example, from 7 euros per month
Advantages:
- insurance for breed-specific illnesses
- 100 percent cost coverage possible at any age of the dog
- reimbursements up to four times the veterinary fee schedule
- free choice of doctor and clinic
- entry into the insurance from the first day of life
- premiums are not adjusted based on age
- optional deductible of 250 euros
- optional coverage of costs for tooth extractions and root treatments in the Easy and Best plans
- worldwide foreign coverage for 12 months
- coverage of cancellation costs if trips cannot be taken due to accident-related surgeries
Disadvantages:
- age limit for new entry at eight years
Uelzener Cat Surgery Insurance
Not only outdoor cats but also house cats can become ill or get injured in an accident. This Uelzener plan specifically covers cats and provides cat owners with the necessary security when surgery is needed.
Price: from 8 euros per month
Advantages:
- 100 percent reimbursement without annual limit possible
- reimbursement regardless of breed or age of the cat
- insurance can start from the 3rd month of life
- coverage of costs depending on plan choice after the single or double rate of the veterinary fee schedule
- coverage of alternative veterinary treatments like homeopathy and acupuncture as part of the surgery
- subsidy for castrations (without waiting period)
- subsidy for chip marking (without waiting period)
- free choice of veterinarian and clinic
- no age limit for entry into the insurance plan
- six months of foreign coverage in the EU
Disadvantages:
- premiums increase by 5 percent annually from the cat’s 5th birthday
Barmenia Dog Surgery Insurance: Comprehensive Protection with High Performance
The Barmenia dog surgery insurance is available in three different plan models, offering dog owners some flexibility. The available plans are Accident Surgery Protection, Premium, and Premium Plus. For the Premium and Premium Plus plans, there is an age limit for new insurance sign-ups.
On the positive side, Barmenia does not set an age limit for signing up for accident surgery protection. This means that dog owners who have missed the opportunity to take out surgery insurance in time still have the chance to protect themselves against this cost risk.
Price: from about 13 euros per month
Advantages:
- coverage up to four times the veterinary fee schedule
- reimbursements for surgeries without an annual maximum
- worldwide foreign coverage (unlimited in the Premium Plus plan, otherwise 12 months)
- coverage of naturopathic treatments as part of the surgery
- coverage of post-operative treatment costs up to the 120th day after surgery (in the Premium Plus plan)
- free choice of veterinarian in all plan models
- tooth extractions and root treatments are included in all plans
- subsidy for castration and sterilization once in the Premium Plus plan
Disadvantages:
- age limit for new entry into the insurance plan (before the 10th birthday)
- age-based premium scaling (except in the Accident Surgery Protection plan)
Also interesting: Insurance for Dogs – Important Tips and Costs Overview
Which Dog Insurance Policies Are Really Worth It
New Fee Schedule for Veterinarians! Is Insurance Now Worth It?
Conclusion: Questions to Ask Before Getting Surgery Insurance
Those who want to insure their pet must balance the desire for the best possible coverage with the wish for the most affordable plan. That insurances with a good performance level do not necessarily have to be the most expensive among the various plans becomes apparent only through comparison. We reveal how pet owners can separate the wheat from the chaff and find a good insurance plan for themselves.
The following points are particularly relevant:
- insurance sign-up
- conditions
- cost reimbursement
- premium amount
Some insurances may no longer be an option simply because the pet has exceeded the age limit for new sign-ups for pet surgery insurance with the insurance provider. Once the insurances that are no longer an option are excluded, the search for a suitable plan with the conditions continues.
Here, it is important to consider whether there are breed-specific illnesses excluded in the insurance plan. If the pet has an increased risk for such an illness, a plan should be chosen where these cases are not excluded. Pet owners should also check the insurance conditions to see if there are extended waiting periods for certain surgeries in the fine print.
When it comes to reimbursing incurred costs, you should ask yourself the following questions:
- Up to what rate of the veterinary fee schedule are the costs for surgeries covered?
- Is there an annual maximum reimbursement amount in the plan?
- Are incurred costs fully or only partially reimbursed?
- How straightforward is the regulation in the event of an insurance claim?
- Is direct billing possible, or do pet owners have to pay upfront?
If there are still various insurances left where pet owners are satisfied with both the coverage and the remaining conditions, a final comparison of the premium amount is worthwhile. Here, pet owners should not only consider the current amount but also note that in some insurance plans, the premiums increase with the pet’s age, potentially making the plan more expensive in the long run.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pet Surgery Insurances
We have provided a lot of information in the guide section. Nevertheless, some questions about pet surgery insurances arise more frequently than others. We would like to address and clarify certain questions once again.
Is There a Pet Surgery Insurance Test Winner at Stiftung Warentest?
While some animals can be kept as classic pets, dogs and cats are quite typical. Because the treatment costs and the respective risks affecting the individual animal species differ, there is no general pet surgery insurance test at Stiftung Warentest.
In the 09/2021 test issue, a large number of surgery insurances were also tested in comparison to dog health insurances. A more recent comparison for cats is available in the 12/2022 test issue. In both tests, many insurances impressed with a very high performance level.
Why Is It Worth Getting Pet Surgery Insurance Early?
Illnesses in pets are almost unavoidable over their lifetime. While they are likely to occur only in the later years of a pet’s life, accidents are unpredictable and can necessitate surgery at any time.
The costs for veterinary treatments in general, and for surgeries and the necessary aftercare in particular, can quickly reach four-digit figures. Therefore, securing coverage as early as possible is advisable. Additionally, with many providers, the premiums increase with the pet’s age.
Which Pets Can Get Surgery Insurance?
Many available surgery insurances are specifically offered only for dogs or cats. There are no general surgery insurances where the same conditions apply to all animals and the same premiums are charged. The offering for surgery insurances for dogs and cats is by far the largest. However, there are also surgery insurances for horses and small animals.