At any age, a dog or a cat needs to be protected. Health insurance makes it possible to offer him better quality care by covering all or part of the veterinary expenses.
However, it is not always easy to find a good contract for a senior animal. Indeed, some companies do not hesitate to put an end to the protection granted until then and others quite simply refuse to cover a dog or a cat deemed to be aging. But rest assured, there are solutions! Discover our advice in this file to find the right insurance for older dogs or cats.
Why choose mutual insurance for senior dogs or cats?
An animal is considered senior when it shows signs of aging. Depending on its species, breed, size and sex, but also depending on its environment and way of life, a dog or a cat has a more or less long life expectancy. Aging can begin to manifest itself sooner or later depending on each individual. However, on average, veterinarians and insurance companies consider a dog or cat to be aging from the age of 7 or 8. In dogs, the size factor is of great importance, which makes it possible to see a considerable difference between the small sizes and the giants. Thus, a small breed dog can be considered senior from 9 or 10 years old, while large or giant breeds are from 5 to 6 years old.
However, when a dog or a cat becomes senior, it is estimated that his body is aging and that he needs more veterinary care. As a result, insurance premiums tend to become more expensive to cover this expected increase in more, more important, heavier and more expensive care.
However, protecting the well-being and health of your little companion is important to allow him to live peacefully and in the best possible conditions, but also to limit veterinary costs. To take care of their aging dog or cat, some owners are forced to pay bills of several hundred or several thousand euros. It is difficult to assume such expenses for many households, which unfortunately leads to a lack of care, numerous abandonments or avoidable euthanasia.
The great difficulty for many masters who wish to take out health insurance for their little companion lies in the fact thatinsuring an aging dog or cat is complex. Indeed, faced with the costs of care which increase with the passage to a senior age, many companies put an end to the contract for animals or refuse to ensure the protection of those who have reached this milestone. But then, how?
To take care of his little elderly companion, there are specific insurance formulas. However, while these formulas have the merit of helping senior pet owners maintain their health, they do have some downsides.
- Insurance for older dogs or cats is more demandingbecause an animal can only be covered if it is identified, up to date with its vaccinations and it must not suffer from hereditary disease or congenital disease.
- The owner of the older dog or cat must provide health statement.
- THE waiting periodwhich is that which extends from the date of signature of the contract to the date of its actual entry into force, is generally longer, which obliges the owner of the animal to pay his contributions without, however, his little companion is covered.
- THE contribution amount is more important, in order to cope with the more numerous, heavier and more expensive veterinary care.
- THE repayment rate veterinary expenses is generally revised downwards, which reduces the amounts of reimbursement.
How to choose health insurance for older dogs or cats?
In terms of health insurance, there are generally three main categories of formulas.
- Economic formulas, relatively basic, which essentially cover surgery and certain illnesses. For this type of protection, it is necessary to count between 10 euros and 30 euros, knowing that the reimbursement rate is limited to approximately 50%.
- Standard formulasintermediaries, cover more costs for an average cost of around 20 euros to 40 euros, but the reimbursement rate rarely exceeds 70%.
- Premium formulas, more protective, integrate other forms of care, but the cost remains lower than for a younger animal, i.e. 80% maximum. Nevertheless, it is necessary to consider paying a contribution of 40 euros to 80 euros approximately.
In general, it is easier to continue an existing mutual insurance contract to cover your elderly dog or cat than to take out a new contract. Nevertheless, to meet the needs of animals at all ages, mutuals for older dogs or cats are interesting. To choose the right formula, you must take care to check certain points.
- Guarantees : make sure that the guarantees included in the contract meet your expectations. Some formulas for elderly animals include prevention, but also the cost of assistance in the event of death, funeral costs or even euthanasia costs.
- The reimbursement rate : the reimbursement rate is the one that will be applied to the care or categories of care covered by the insurance company. These rates are generally lower for a formula for senior animals than for a classic mutual health insurance for dogs or cats.
- The reimbursement limit : this is the maximum annual amount that the insurer will agree to reimburse. With each refund request, the amounts accumulate. When the ceiling is exceeded, no more coverage will be possible before the tacit renewal of the contract, that is to say on the anniversary date.
- The waiting period : as we said above, the waiting period is important, because the master of the insured dog or cat begins to pay his contributions without his little companion being covered. It is therefore better to opt for a formula with a reduced waiting period. However, be careful, because their duration can be from a few days to several weeks, or even several months!
- Franchise : the deductible is an amount that remains the responsibility of the insured for any request for coverage. It is often applied to formulas intended for senior animals in order to dissuade owners from seeking reimbursement for low veterinary costs.
- The history of the dog or cat : when a dog or cat has already encountered health problems, some insurance companies refuse to cover them. However, this is not always the case. It is also sometimes possible to take out a contract, but any request for reimbursement concerning these specific conditions will be refused.
How much does senior dog or cat insurance cost?
The cost of insurance for dogs or cats depends on certain criteria, such as the species, the breed of the animal, its medical history, its lifestyle, the type of formula chosen, the geographical location, etc. Age is also a determining factor, which is why insurance for older dogs and cats is more expensive.
Thus, on average, it is necessary to count between 10 euro and 30 euro per month for an economical formula, between 20 euros and 40 eurosfor a standard formula and 40 euros to 80 euros (or more) for a premium formula.
Get quotes to insure your senior dog or cat!
The best solution to take care of your little companion is to take out health insurance from an early age. Thus, the animal is protected throughout its life and its master encounters less difficulty in preserving its well-being when it becomes senior. Note, however, again that this solution is not always possible, because some insurance companies terminate the contract once the animal is deemed to be aging.
Anyway, if you want to find an insurance contract for your senior dog or cat without wasting time or money, you can use a online quote comparison. Our tool is an ideal ally to find the best formula for you. Indeed, our online comparator is free, without commitment, without constraints, easy to use and very effective. 100% personalized, it includes a simple questionnaire that you can complete to enable it to identify your needs. After validation, the tool will be able to send you a list of formulas that meet your expectations.
All you have to do is select the most attractive ones in order to request a personalized quote from the various insurers. Compare the offers and opt for the most interesting in terms of quality/price ratio. You can even negotiate some additional benefits by playing the competition!
