WHAT IS PET INSURANCE IN SPAIN?

HOW TO FIND THE BEST HEALTHCARE PLANS FOR YOUR PET.

WHAT IS PET INSURANCE IN SPAIN?

Pet Insurance in Spain is designed to protect you against most of the costs of emergency, accidental or illness expenses in the event that your pet needs to seek treatment from a Veterinarian.

Not all pet insurances are the same. You should check out what your Pet insurance policy covers when your pet gets older.

WHAT ARE THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF PET INSURANCE IN SPAIN?

Spanish pet insurance companies have long and lengthy terms and conditions, often not available in English, with most only paying a contribution of about 80% towards your claim if you use the vet they want you to use.

As a general rule if you put Pet Insurance terms and conditions side by side, the one with the fewest pages is usually the best and easiest to understand. Have less restrictions and are usually cheaper.

Protectapet, Spain’s leading pet healthcare plan provider were the first to offer Pet Insurance in Spain. Many Pet Insurance providers in Spain have tried to offer a much lower level of cover by copying the Protectapet products, but none have been able to match them for cover.

HOW OTHER PET INSURANCE COMPANIES COMPARE TO PROTECTAPET.

Protectapet, with up to €10,000 per claim is by far the highest Pet Healthcare cover available in Spain, Portugal, Greece and Cyprus.

They also cover Horses, Ponies and Donkeys for Veterinary bills, Colic, death and accidents and provides cover for the riders.

No other pet Insurance company offers fixed premiums for life, nor do they cover for any breed or age of cats and dogs, nor do they offer the same price for older dogs to join. All of the pet insurance companies in Spain that we know off, do not take on new policies for pets over the age of 8 or 9 and many will not cover any of the dangerous dog breeds. Many Pedigree breeds are more expensive to insurance and get a premium penalty added the older they get. Some insurance companies can double their premiums at renewal if you have to make a claim on your Pet Insurance in Spain.

That’s one of the reasons they will not cover your pet as it gets older as they are aware that age does bring in more claims and tends to lead to much bigger claims for operations and illnesses, as well as older pets being more prone to accidents.

CAN I SWITCH PET INSURANCE COMPANIES IN SPAIN?

No. You can’t switch from one Pet Insurance company to another and go straight into the illness cover. Pet insurance providers realised that this has too much potential for fraudulent claims and insist that any illness cover must wait the statutory 21 days before illness cover is available. Remember that any illness that shows signs in that 21 days will not be covered as it would be considered as a pre-existing condition.

WHICH PET HEALTHCARE COMPANY IS BEST?

Without a doubt, Protectapet, The European Pet Healthcare Management Company comes out tops. They were the first company to introduce cover for Pets back in 2004, after running a pilot programme for 5 years. Their terms and conditions are easy to read and unambiguous, and their staff are all pet owners, pet lovers and dedicated to providing the best service to their clients.

You will find out the differences when you make a claim. Protectapet have the most efficient claims system in the business and claims can be done online.

CAN I COVER ANY BREED INCLUDING DANGEROUS DOG BREEDS?

Only one Pet Healthcare company in Spain – Protectapet - will provide you with cover for any dog of any age or Breed.

Most pet insurance companies will not contract a pet insurance policy in Spain if your pet is over 8 years old.

Other than Protectapet, all other pet insurance companies do not cover all the breeds of pets, most cats can be covered, but when it comes to Dangerous dogs, Protectapet are the only company that will cover them ALL.

When your pet gets older, only Protectapet are willing to cover your dog with a new policy after the age of 8 years old. They don’t charge you anything extra as the price for Dog or Cat healthcare and the premium will remain fixed for the lifetime of your pet.

There are no penalties with Protectapet for covering an older pet. No matter how old your pet is, it can still get covered with Protectapet and your premium remains fixed for the lifetime of your pet. If your pet is 10 years or older at the time of joining, some additional restrictions may apply, depending on your pets history.

CAN I PAY FOR PET INSURANCE MONTHLY?

All Spanish Pet Insurance companies request that you pay for your pet insurance in Spain on an annual basis, by direct debit from a Spanish Bank, as they want the full premiums up front. On the other hand, Protectapet offer an easy monthly payment option whereby you can pay monthly, quarterly, or every 6 months, either by direct debit or by visa from any bank, not just Spanish ones.

CAN I USE ANY VET IN SPAIN?

Pet insurance companies in Spain make you use their own selected vets. This is because they have deals with a group or selection of vets to reduce the insurance costs to their companies if one of their insured customers uses their services.

This does mean that you can be very restricted as to which vet you can use as the Pet Insurance companies will select those that have a lower, or have agreed to, lower fees if the insurance company is used and reduce your selection of vets quite considerable. This does not mean to say that the Vets they select have been selected for their skills. Quite often it is all about the money.

Protectapet let you use any Vet you like. They understand that all vets are not the same and you might want to change or have the need to use a different vet from time to time, particularly if you are traveling around Europe or on holiday with your pet.

DOES PET INSURANCE COVER ME OUTSIDE SPAIN?

Protectapet offer you an add-on to your pet healthcare policy if you need it. They can cover your pet for travel anywhere in the world.

IS PET INSURANCE IN SPAIN AVAILABLE ONLINE?

Most pet insurance companies in Spain will require you to give them all your details and that of your pets, and then get back to you sometime later with a quote for your pet insurance.

Protectapet have an open and transparent online service. You can go online, select the fixed price cover you want or need, chose how you want to pay, and you can take it out there and then, simples.

The policy is instantly delivered to you by e-mail, and you have a full money back guarantee if you don’t, for whatever reason, want to keep the policy or are not happy with the terms and conditions. A no quibble money back guarantee.

CAN I COMPARE PET INSURANCE IN SPAIN?

Only by downloading the terms and conditions from each individual pet insurance company or requesting quotes. There are some pet comparison sites in Spain but don’t be misled by them, they are not what they seem.

These are Insurance companies like Pet Plan disguising their websites as a pet insurance comparison website, only to suggest that their expensive Pet Plan policies are the best. They do not compare all pet insurance companies, nor do they compare or take into account the Pet Healthcare companies operating in Spain.

You won’t find Protectapet on any Pet Comparison websites.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING PET INSURANCE IN SPAIN.

What to look for when buying pet insurance online

PET INSURANCE CLAIM LIMITS.

Check what your claims limit is, most pet insurance providers in Spain offer as little as € 1000 a year. The best one is Protectapet as their Diamond Plan offers up to €10,000 a year and offers European cover if you need it and works out a lot cheaper. There will be an excess on all insurance claims.

CLAIMS FORMS.

See if their Pet Insurance claims forms are available online and can be submitted digitally and are available in English and Spanish as not all vets speak English.

Protectapet offer a range of claims forms in several languages and if the claims forms are submitted correctly, you can expect a result within 5-7 working days. There claims department is excellent and they are very helpful if you have any questions.

Claims Support.

Having support when your pet is ill or has passed away is a very high priority with Protectapet, so if you are distressed and upset over your pet, their staff are very comforting and knowledgeable, as most have pets of their own and understand the closeness with animals, and will help you in any way possible, both emotionally and financially with the claims process. Some claims can be paid within 24 hours, depending on the circumstances.

ARE PET INSURANCE PREMIUMS FIXED FOR LIFE?

Only Protectapet offer products whereby premiums are fixed for the lifetime of your pet. Whatever your pet healthcare premium is today, will remain the same for the lifetime of your pet. Premiums will never increase regardless of the number of claims you make.

ARE INSURANCE PREMIUMS DIFFERENT FOR OLDER PETS?

Not with Protectapet. The premiums are fixed regardless of the age of your pet. All other Pet Insurance and Healthcare providers will increase annual premiums and increase your annual premium the older your pet gets. This is easy to check. Visit any online provider, put the quote in twice, once for your pet at age 2 and another for the same pet aged 8. Other insurance companies will not cover pets over 8 years old.

If it is also a dangerous dog or appears on the dangerous dog list in Spain, they may not cover it at all.

Most won’t give you a quote for any pets over the age of 8 with the exception of Protectapet who offer the same premium regardless of the age of your pet and fix the premium for life.

DO PET INSURANCE COMPANIES OFFER A MONEY BACK GUARANTEE?.

Protectapet offer a full 10-day money back guarantee if you are not fully satisfied with their terms and conditions.

Protectapet also offer easy monthly payment terms and your policy can be canceled at any time. Other insurance companies may offer a partial refund, taking out admin charges and commissions first and require you to pay the annual premiums up front.

SWITCHING FROM ANOTHER PET INSURANCE.

When you take out a pet insurance in Spain you may have a waiting period of 21-30 days before illness cover kicks in. Any emergency treatments for accidents and injuries are normally covered from day one. This is to avoid you taking out a Pet insurance to cover an immediate medical issue or operation due within the 21-day period. Fraud is a constant issue for Pet insurance Companies in Spain, and it is a method used to reduce the amount of fraud.

DOES MY PET NEED A PRIOR INSPECTION FROM A VET?

Some Pet Plans and pet insurance have exclusion periods for claims on knees and hips during the first 6 months and require a vets report prior to you taking out a policy, so you will have additional costs and delays in taking out the policy.

With Protectapet, you can take out a policy immediately and have instant cover for any accidents and emergencies, you do not have to seek a prior veterinary inspection for anything. When making a claim, your vet will be required to provide details of work carried out and the nature of the visit or consultation and provide the pets history if required.

DOES PET INSURANCE COVER PRE-EXISITING CONDITIONS?

WHAT IS A PRE-EXISTING CONDITION?

As the name suggests it is a condition that existed, or which first showed signs of a clinical condition, before you took out the pet insurance policy, or during the policy waiting period.

This does vary from company to company with some not covering anything for the first 15 days. Protectapet cover accidents and emergencies from day one and illnesses after 21 days.

Can pre-existing conditions still be covered?

Only Protectapet healthcare plans offer cover for some pre-existing conditions. It will depend on the Pre-existing condition and if it classified as a curable medical condition, that has been recorded, treated the Vet can confirm that your pet has been free from treatments for that conditions for at least 365 days prior.

Should I get pet insurance if my pet has a pre-existing condition?

Although your pet might have a pre-existing condition, pet insurance and healthcare plans are designed to cover a lot of potential hazards such as broken bones, accidents and virtually anything that has no connection to that pre-existing condition.

As pets get older they are more prone to accidents, illnesses and diseases. One pre-existing condition should not exclude the need for Pet Insurance. A broken leg can cost thousands to fix and you will have to decide if a Pet Insurance is suitable for you and your pet.

THE EXCESS ON PET INSURANCE.

All pet insurance have a first excess charge. This is the amount that you must pay up front in the event of any claim. Protectapet have a first excess of €50 on all claims regardless of how big or small the claim is. The first excess on pet insurance is designed to reduce the number of smaller claims ( under €50 ) being submitted.

Other pet insurance companies may offer a sliding scale of a percentage of the claim as the excess fee. So, if you are submitting a large claim your excess can be very high. Always check your policy.

RENEWING YOUR PET INSURANCE IN SPAIN.

With the exception of Protectapet, expect an annual increase in your pet insurance premiums, especially if you have made a claim. If you have made several claims during the year your premium can double at renewal, or they might even cancel your policy. With the fixed premium for life offer with Protectapet, your premiums are guaranteed to be the same at renewal.

Protectapet also offer a monthly payment scheme whereby you can automatically renew your policy every month without the need to worry about the renewal date as they provide an open-ended contract that you can cancel at any time.

WHAT IS NOT COVERED BY PET INSURANCE IN SPAIN.

Most pet insurance companies in Spain do not cover for general health and preventative care, annual check-ups, flea and tick treatment, vaccinations and spaying and neutering, issues with pregnancy, teeth and ear cleaning, worming tablets and some hereditary and congenital diseases.

Check the exclusions on your Pet Insurance policy, they should be clear and concise and if they don’t offer you a full money back guarantee on their terms and conditions, don’t buy it.

Pro-rata refunds will mean that they will deduct a large administration fee to cancel your policy in the first few days.

OTHER INSURANCE SERVICES IN SPAIN

If you are looking to combine your Insurances, Protectapet have a sister company that offer all other forms of General insurance in English and as a Protectapet client, you may be eligible for additional discounts on Car insurance, House Insurance, Health Insurance, Life insurance, Marine and boat insurance and just about anything else you might want to cover. By using www.insuranceinspain.com you can make considerable savings on all your other insurance needs. Just mention that you have an existing Protectapet policy with the policy number and the staff will lock you in to some fantastic discounts and insurance offers.

CONTACT US.

If you have any questions or need more information please do not hesitate to contact us or request a call back as we are here to help you in any way we can. Our staff will be available Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm.

General Insurance.

For all your insurances in Spain – We offer a huge variety of tailor-made quality insurance products that cover just about anything you need in Spain, for Expats in English, living, working or just plain retired in Spain. R equest a call back or call them and they will arrange to call you back, at your convenience, for details or to discuss any insurance requirements you need.

Our advice is free and confidential, and you are under no obligation to buy from us, we are here to help.

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