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Buying a Dog Insurance Plan in India? Here’s What You Need to Know!
Considering purchasing a pet insurance plan for your dog? Read on to learn how dog insurance works, what is covered, and who the top providers are in India!
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For today’s pet parents, our pets have become our family. Just like we would leave no stone unturned for our loved one’s health, the same is true for our dogs. However, medical expenses are uncertain and sneak up when we expect them the least. And this is where a good pet insurance plan can help you.
In India, the awareness about pet health insurance awareness is still low, though it is slowly gaining interest among pet parents. In this article, let’s understand what exactly is pet insurance, what are the various pet insurance places available in India, their costs, and how they work.
In India, the awareness about pet health insurance awareness is still low, though it is slowly gaining interest among pet parents. In this article, let’s understand what exactly is pet insurance, what are the various pet insurance places available in India, their costs, and how they work.
Imager courtesy: pexels.com
What are Dog Insurance Plans?
Pet insurance works similarly to human insurance: you pay a monthly or annual premium, and the insurer covers many of your pet’s medical expenses. In India, three main companies have come up with pet insurance plans—HDFC Ergo (for dogs and cats), Bajaj Allianz (for dogs and cats), and Future Generali (for dogs only).
The type of medical expenses covered by your insurance is called the “Insurance Coverage” or “Cover”. Each pet insurance plan comes with its own set of default and optional covers and it is important to understand each one fully before deciding which insurance to buy.
The type of medical expenses covered by your insurance is called the “Insurance Coverage” or “Cover”. Each pet insurance plan comes with its own set of default and optional covers and it is important to understand each one fully before deciding which insurance to buy.
How Much of My Dog’s Medical Costs Are Covered by The Dog Insurance Plan?
Pet insurance plans cover medical costs up to a certain limit, known as the “Sum Insured.” Most plans allow you to choose your Sum Insured, with higher amounts resulting in higher premiums.
Some companies, like Future Generali, offer a restoration feature that resets your Sum Insured for the remainder of the policy year, even after you have made claims for surgery or hospitalization.
Keep in mind that different covers may have specific claim limits. For example, Future Generali limits OPD claims to a maximum of 20% of the Sum Insured per year. Please always read policy documents carefully to verify the exact amount of coverage provided by your pet insurance
Some companies, like Future Generali, offer a restoration feature that resets your Sum Insured for the remainder of the policy year, even after you have made claims for surgery or hospitalization.
Keep in mind that different covers may have specific claim limits. For example, Future Generali limits OPD claims to a maximum of 20% of the Sum Insured per year. Please always read policy documents carefully to verify the exact amount of coverage provided by your pet insurance
Image courtesy: pexels.com
What Types of Medical Costs Will My Dog Insurance Plan Cover?
Here is a list of the most common covers provided by pet insurance plans in India.
Once you know the covers you will need, make a list, and compare costs across each pet insurance plan. Each plan has its own set of default and optional covers, so understanding these fully is key before making a choice.
- Surgery & Hospitalisation Cover: Under this cover, the pet insurance company takes care of medical costs for your dog’s hospital stays and surgeries due to illness or accidents. This is a default inclusion in most dog insurance plans.
- OPD Cover or Injury/Illness Cover: This covers medical treatments due to accidental injuries or illnesses that don’t require hospitalization. However, routine procedures like vaccinations, spaying/neutering, and dental procedures are not typically covered by most pet insurance plans.
- Third-party Liability Cover: If your dog damages someone or their property—for instance, by biting, knocking someone down, or breaking a neighbour’s gate—this cover protects you financially against such costs. Some plans also protect you from legal costs, if a case is unfortunately filed.
- Theft or Loss Cover: Every pet parent’s worst nightmare! Pet insurance plans with this cover help with the costs of printing posters, advertisements, and reward money if your pet is lost or stolen.
- Terminal Illness Cover: This assists with long-term care costs if your dog is diagnosed with a severe illness from which they may not recover.
- Other Unique Covers: These optional add-ons come at an extra cost:
- End of Life Cover/Funeral (Future Generali): Covers cremation or burial expenses up to a certain extent, if you lose your pet.
- Trip Cancellation Cover (HDFC ERGO): Reimburses non-refundable travel costs if a pet emergency forces you to cancel.
- Veterinary on Call/Home Visits (Future Generali): Covers home vet visits if you can’t take your pet to the clinic.
- Emergency Pet Minding, Road Ambulance, and more.
Once you know the covers you will need, make a list, and compare costs across each pet insurance plan. Each plan has its own set of default and optional covers, so understanding these fully is key before making a choice.
How Much Does a Good Dog Insurance Plan Cost in India?
In India, dog insurance plans can range anywhere from 1k to 20k per year. If you are buying insurance for the first time, your premium will depend on:
In our research, we went through all three dog insurance plans - Future Generali, HDFC Ergo, and Bajaj Allianz for my dog. We reviewed the cost of pet insurance premiums for all the important covers with a sum insured of 10,000 rupees. Here are the prices we were quoted:
- The type of covers you choose
- Your sum insured
- Your dog’s current health condition, age, breed, and size
In our research, we went through all three dog insurance plans - Future Generali, HDFC Ergo, and Bajaj Allianz for my dog. We reviewed the cost of pet insurance premiums for all the important covers with a sum insured of 10,000 rupees. Here are the prices we were quoted:
How Do I Buy a Dog Insurance Plan in India?
You can purchase pet insurance from HDFC Ergo, Bajaj Allianz, and Future Generali directly on their websites. You can register with your phone number, provide details about your dog (age, gender, breed, weight), and select the covers you want to receive a quote.
Once you decide on the coverage you want, you will need to submit documents including (but not limited to) your dog’s health certificate, vaccination records, and photos (front, right, and left). Once the documents are submitted and the premium is paid, your insurance will begin after 2-3 weeks of document verification.
Given the complexities involved in choosing the right dog insurance plans, we would recommend speaking to an insurance agent before making the purchase. This will give you a much better idea of the plan than just reading online.
Once you decide on the coverage you want, you will need to submit documents including (but not limited to) your dog’s health certificate, vaccination records, and photos (front, right, and left). Once the documents are submitted and the premium is paid, your insurance will begin after 2-3 weeks of document verification.
Given the complexities involved in choosing the right dog insurance plans, we would recommend speaking to an insurance agent before making the purchase. This will give you a much better idea of the plan than just reading online.
FAQs about Dog Insurance Plans in India
1) Is there an age limit for dogs while purchasing the insurance policy?
Yes, all three dog insurance plans have age limits for coverage. Typically, pets must be at least 3 months old to be eligible, with the upper limit ranging between 7 to 10 years, depending on the company.
For example, Future Generali's dog insurance plan covers dogs from 3 months to 10 years for small, medium and large breeds. However, for giant breed dogs like Saint Bernard, Cane Corso, and others, they only insure up to 5 years of age. Bajaj Allianz, on the other hand, covers small, medium and large breed dogs from 3 months to 7 years and giant breed dogs up to 4 years of age.
Beyond the maximum age, your pet insurance will cease to exist and the company will not cover any medical expenses. Always check with your provider to confirm the age criteria when purchasing a pet insurance plan.
2) How do I claim my dog insurance policy for medical costs?
All three dog insurance companies in India follow a similar process for claims reimbursement:
3) I have multiple dogs at home, can I get a dog insurance plan for all my pets?
Absolutely! If you have multiple dogs at home, you can get dog insurance plans for all of them, provided they fit the age, breed and medical profiles.
HDFC Ergo offers insurance for up to 5 dogs per pet parent, while Bajaj Allianz and Future Generali also cover multiple pets without specifying a maximum limit. You will have to buy separate dog insurance policies for each of your pets.
4) What about pets other than dogs?
Bajaj and HDFC Ergo provide insurance for both cats and dogs, while Future Generali only provides insurance for dogs. No other pets are covered by insurance companies yet.
5) My dog insurance policy has Copay - what does it mean?
Co-payment in dog insurance policies means that a percentage of your vet bill has to be paid by the pet parent. E.g. Future Generali has a 10% or 20% co-payment option, which means that you have to pay 10% or 20% of the veterinary bill, while the rest will be paid by the insurance company. Bajaj Allianz and HDFC Ergo have a 0% co-payment option, as per our research. The co-payment is agreed upon at the beginning of the policy and can help keep the overall insurance price lower.
Hope we were able to break down the dog insurance plans in India in a simple and comprehensible way through this article. There are a lot of details that vary between each of the three insurance plans in India and you must go through each policy in detail before deciding which one to buy.
Happy Pet Parenting!
For example, Future Generali's dog insurance plan covers dogs from 3 months to 10 years for small, medium and large breeds. However, for giant breed dogs like Saint Bernard, Cane Corso, and others, they only insure up to 5 years of age. Bajaj Allianz, on the other hand, covers small, medium and large breed dogs from 3 months to 7 years and giant breed dogs up to 4 years of age.
Beyond the maximum age, your pet insurance will cease to exist and the company will not cover any medical expenses. Always check with your provider to confirm the age criteria when purchasing a pet insurance plan.
2) How do I claim my dog insurance policy for medical costs?
All three dog insurance companies in India follow a similar process for claims reimbursement:
- Contact their helpline or email them right away to start the claims process and avoid delays.
- The insurance firms will provide you with a checklist of documents to send to them. Send the documents to them at the given email address.
- Receive your claim after verification of the documents. The maximum claim disbursal time, i.e., the time taken to receive your claim depends on your insurance provider. For example, HDFC promises to settle your claim within 15 days of receiving all documents while Future Generali may take up to 30 days.
3) I have multiple dogs at home, can I get a dog insurance plan for all my pets?
Absolutely! If you have multiple dogs at home, you can get dog insurance plans for all of them, provided they fit the age, breed and medical profiles.
HDFC Ergo offers insurance for up to 5 dogs per pet parent, while Bajaj Allianz and Future Generali also cover multiple pets without specifying a maximum limit. You will have to buy separate dog insurance policies for each of your pets.
4) What about pets other than dogs?
Bajaj and HDFC Ergo provide insurance for both cats and dogs, while Future Generali only provides insurance for dogs. No other pets are covered by insurance companies yet.
5) My dog insurance policy has Copay - what does it mean?
Co-payment in dog insurance policies means that a percentage of your vet bill has to be paid by the pet parent. E.g. Future Generali has a 10% or 20% co-payment option, which means that you have to pay 10% or 20% of the veterinary bill, while the rest will be paid by the insurance company. Bajaj Allianz and HDFC Ergo have a 0% co-payment option, as per our research. The co-payment is agreed upon at the beginning of the policy and can help keep the overall insurance price lower.
Hope we were able to break down the dog insurance plans in India in a simple and comprehensible way through this article. There are a lot of details that vary between each of the three insurance plans in India and you must go through each policy in detail before deciding which one to buy.
Happy Pet Parenting!
Keywords:
Pet insurance ,
Dog insurance plan ,
Pet insurance plans ,
Dog insurance policy ,
Pet health insurance
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