What is the best pet insurance?
Which pet insurance is best depends largely on what you’re looking for in a policy. Would you prefer the lowest possible premium, or would you rather have complete peace of mind with the most comprehensive cover?
We’ve listed the key pros and cons for each insurer. Among other things, we’ve compared:
- Premium – how much do you pay per month for your insurance?
- Cover – are most procedures and tests covered by the insurance?
- Co-payment – what proportion of the vet’s bill (usually 50% to 90%) is reimbursed?
- Maximum reimbursement – how much in vet’s fees can you claim per year?
1. Figo – Most comprehensive cover
Figo offers the most comprehensive cover in its basic package and, as standard, even reimburses up to €75 for vaccinations and other preventative care. Behavioural therapy, funeral and alternative therapies are also covered as standard. However, the premium (which is quite competitive in the basic package) does increase when you opt for the maximum annual reimbursement and/or choose the option without an excess.
- Most comprehensive cover
- Lowest starting premium for dogs
- Animals of all ages accepted
- Also available for rabbits and parrots
- No compulsory excess (or a discount on your premium if you do opt for one)
- Only the most comprehensive package reimburses 90% of your vet’s bill
- Low starting premium, but this increases with higher (maximum) reimbursement levels and if you opt for no or a limited excess
Visit the Figo website for more details.
2. OHRA – Highest standard reimbursement
OHRA’s standard cover is slightly less comprehensive than Figo’s, but you do receive a higher proportion of your vet’s bill reimbursed as standard. Whilst Figo’s basic package reimburses 50%, OHRA always reimburses 80%. This applies even to the basic package, although an excess of up to €100 per year does apply.
- Standard 80% reimbursement of costs incurred
- Lowest starting premium for cats
- Positive customer reviews
- Highly rated for claims handling
- Comprehensive cover
- An excess of 30 to 100 euros applies per year
- Limited maximum annual reimbursement in the basic package
Visit the OHRA website for more details.
3. PetSecur
PetSecur offers a good balance between cover and premium, particularly from the Standard Package onwards. However, there are some differences in cover compared to other insurers. For example, neutering is included in the standard cover, albeit to a limited extent and only if you opt for a longer policy term. PetSecur aims to keep premium increases to a minimum, meaning the insurer often works out more cost-effectively over the entire policy term.
- Lowest premium over the entire policy term
- Comprehensive cover in the Standard and Plus packages
- No compulsory excess (or a discount on your premium if you do choose one)
- No waiting period for many conditions
- Neutering covered as standard (for a 5-year policy term)
- Limited cover in the Basic package
- One-off policy fee of €12.00
- Only the most comprehensive package reimburses 90% of your vet’s bill
Visit the PetSecur website for more details.
4. Univé
Univé is the only pet insurance provider where veterinary costs incurred abroad are covered under the standard cover, with no limit on the maximum reimbursement. Anyone living in a border region can therefore easily choose a vet in Belgium or Germany. However, the cover does have some limitations; for example, cremation and behavioural therapy are always excluded from cover.
- Veterinary costs abroad are covered as standard
- No excess
- 80% of costs incurred are reimbursed as standard
- Free consultations with the online vet VETTS
- Limited annual maximum reimbursement under the basic option
Visit the Univé website for more details.
5. InShared
InShared’s cover has its pros and cons. For example, neutering or spaying is covered as standard (something that only PetSecur offers apart from InShared), but cremation is not reimbursed – not even through supplementary insurance. Physiotherapy, hydrotherapy and cancer treatments are also excluded from cover, but you can take out supplementary insurance for these.
- 80% of costs incurred are reimbursed as standard
- Neutering and spaying included
- No excess
- Includes worldwide cover (up to €1,000 per year)
- Only available for animals up to and including 5 years of age
Visit the InShared website for more details.
6. A.s.r.
Insuring your dog or cat with A.s.r. is very straightforward: the premium is low (for some breeds, it’s even the lowest), but the cover and options for extending it are also quite limited. For example, alternative therapies, physiotherapy or behavioural therapy, neutering or spaying, and preventive care are always excluded from cover.
- Relatively low monthly premium
- Least comprehensive cover
- Few supplementary insurance options
- Some conditions are excluded from cover (this varies by breed)
- An excess of 25 euros applies per claim
- Limited maximum annual reimbursement (€2,500)
- Only available for animals up to and including 5 years of age
Visit the A.s.r. website for more details.
7. Dierenverzekering.nl
This small Dutch pet insurance company offers three packages. However, the basic package is rather limited and offers only restricted cover. For example, blood tests, MRI scans and hospitalisation are not covered as standard. Even in the Plus and Top packages, the cover is lower than with most other insurers.
- Cover abroad included as standard
- Very limited cover, particularly in the basic package
- One-off policy fee of €8.95
- Only available for animals up to and including 5 years of age
Visit the Dierenverzekering.nl website for more details.
What is the cheapest pet insurance?
Even if you look solely at the premium, there are many factors that can influence the answer to this question. For example, it varies depending on the type of animal, the breed, the animal’s age and even the postcode area. Whilst one insurance policy may be the cheapest in one situation, this may not be the case in another. There is therefore no single ‘cheapest’ pet insurance policy.
It also depends on the package you choose, as well as the level of cover. If you pay a low monthly premium but then have to pay a higher percentage of the vet’s bill yourself, is it really such a bargain?
So take a look at the differences between the insurers above, and make a choice based on what matters most to you. Still can’t decide? Then use the overviews on our dog insurance and cat insurance pages, read the in-depth articles in our knowledge base, or get in touch with our experts. They’re available to help you via WhatsApp within office hours.
