Getting your pet insurance easily and quickly

Imagine your dog eating a sock lying around and needing emergency surgery. Or that your cat fights with a companion and gets bitten pretty hard in her tail. Medical costs can sometimes be very high, especially if surgery is also required. In addition to acute medical costs, other costs also play a role in having a pet. Consider, for example, a consultation or treatment at the vet and medications. For pet insurance you pay a relatively small amount per month, so you will not have to pay the full bill after medical treatment later.

Dogs and cats are the most common pets in the Netherlands. Therefore, most insurers offer cat insurance and dog insurance. The content of both insurances is otherwise the same. If your dog or cat falls ill, a pet insurance policy will insure you for the medical costs involved. A few insurers also offer rabbit insurance.

What pet insurance costs depends on your pet. An insurer looks at the following factors when calculating the premium:

• Your pet's breed or crossbreed
• Your pet's weight
• The age of your pet
• Do you go for the basic coverage or do you also choose additional coverages

If your pet is heavier, there is a higher risk of health issues. Your pet's age is also important. The older an animal gets, the higher the risk of disorders. Many insurers therefore recalculate the premium every year, this is also called an aging surcharge. This means that the premium increases every year.

You can also expand the basic pet insurance with additional coverage. These include physical therapy, behavioral therapy, radiotherapy and dental costs. With some insurers you can also insure the spaying or neutering of the animal and sometimes even the necessary vaccinations. Travel coverage or cremation coverage is also an option. So you can put together your pet insurance completely the way you want it.

Is only the best good enough for your faithful four-legged friend? Then, of course, you'll look for the best pet insurance. What is the best pet insurance depends on your pet and on your personal situation. It is recommended to purchase the insurance when your pet is still young, because pet insurance can only be purchased up to a certain age. In addition, it is important to take a look at your financial situation. If you have a buffer to cover unexpected expenses, you may not need to have as much insurance as if you are a little tight on money. This way you can determine the best pet insurance for you, your pet and your wallet.

Food, a basket, toys, a leash or cat litter... Maintaining an animal costs money, of course. Not surprisingly, you want to save a little too. Saving on pet insurance, but not sacrificing coverage? No problem. At Alpina.nl you can find the best and cheapest pet insurance with our online comparer. Moreover, you can easily add and remove additional coverage, to get a good idea of the difference in costs.

Before you move on to buying pet insurance, it is important that you start comparing. After all, one insurer is not the other. Often there are differences in coverage and premiums. To start comparing, you can enter some personal information and details about your pet in our online comparison tool. Then you will get an overview of all insurers that match your needs. Look not only at the amount of the premiums, but also at the policy conditions of the insurance. What is all covered? What about the increase in premium as your pet gets older? If you compare extensively, you can be sure that you will soon have a good pet insurance policy.

The choice is yours, of course, but insurance offers you financial security in the event of unexpected medical expenses for your pet. An operation or long-term treatment can quickly cost around €1,000. If you don't have this money behind you, pet insurance can offer a solution.

You can buy insurance for dogs up to 7 years old, cats up to 11 years old and rabbits up to 5 years old. There is no maximum age limit for parrots.

When buying or renewing insurance, the age of the animal is taken into account. The older the animal, the higher the insurance premium because the risk of diseases and accidents increases.

You take out insurance for one year. After that, it can be cancelled monthly.

As with humans, health costs are lower for pets in their younger years than as the animal ages a day. Therefore, the premium of a puppy is lower than the premium of a dog that is, say, 7 years old. The exact increase per year depends on (the crossbreed with) the breed and the current age of the animal.

All breeds of animals are welcome. However, some dog breeds are subject to restrictions. In these breeds (hereditary) breed characteristics are included in the breed standard that give rise to (many) additional health costs. Medical expenses related to these abnormalities are excluded through a breed clause and can therefore not be reimbursed.

• (Old) English Bulldog: Standard exclusion of all respiratory diseases (including throat and nose).
• French Bulldog: Standard exclusion of all respiratory diseases (including throat and nose).
• Cavalier King Charles: Standard exclusion of all neurological disorders including brain and spinal cord.

Yes, you can switch to a more comprehensive package. You can do this on the annual premium due date (the policy anniversary).

Pet insurance is subject to a waiting period. Complaints arising before or during this waiting period will not be reimbursed. Any follow-up costs of an illness, condition or accident arising before or during the waiting period are also not eligible for reimbursement.

How long is the waiting period?

• Care needed after an accident is subject to a 48-hour waiting period.
• There is a 30-day waiting period for diseases and conditions.

All packages do reimburse the placement of the chip in the waiting period.

Pet insurance takes effect - after acceptance - on the day the application is received by the insurer.

After the effective date, there is a 14-day trial period. Within these 14 days, the pet insurance can be cancelled in writing without giving a reason. This does not apply if a claim has already been submitted.

A 30-day waiting period applies from the effective date for illness.

You can terminate your insurance with one month's notice. This is possible on a monthly basis once your policy has reached the one-year term or in special cases, such as when your pet has died.