Healthy Pets’ Jargon Buster

Here at Healthy Pets, we know that a lot of jargon exists in pet insurance – and the industry in general. When choosing a policy, we want to make sure you’re able to make an informed decision. That’s why we’ve pulled together a list of commonly used terms and their meanings, so you can feel comfortable and confident when making important choices for you and your pet.

Let’s dive straight in… 

A - C - E - F - H - I - L - M - P - S -V

A

Accident

This means a sudden and unexpected incident which happens during the period of insurance and results in bodily injury to or the death of your pet.

Accident only policy

This type of policy covers the cost of treating your pet if they’re injured in an accident. An accident-only policy will not cover illnesses or diseases. Events which may be covered include:

  • Broken bones
  • Cuts
  • Bites
  • Wounds
  • Poisoning
  • Ingestion of foreign objects

Routine veterinary care (such as worming or vaccinations), illnesses, diseases, and pre-existing conditions won’t be covered.

Find out more about our accident only policy.

C

Co-insurance

Once your pet reaches a certain age, a co-insurance payment is an additional amount you will put towards the cost of an insurance claim. When your pet turns 5 years old, your co-insurance payment will be 15% of the overall vet fee; when they turn 6, the payment rises to 20%. Co-insurance payments are made alongside a fixed excess.

Some policies allow you to include co-insurance from birth if you wish, and others let you choose a different excess. Once co-insurance is added to your cover, it will remain for the duration of the policy.

Check your policy wording and schedule each year for details of your applicable co-insurance.

So, how does it work?

  1. You’re in the second year of your policy and have put in a claim for £499 to treat your 6-year-old dog for a new condition
  2. If you have a Maximum Benefit policy, you’ll pay a fixed excess of £125, leaving a vet bill of £374
  3. You then pay a co-insurance payment of 20% from the vet bill after the fixed excess has been deducted of £74.80
  4. This means your insurer pays the outstanding balance of £299.20
  5. In total, you pay £199.80 (fixed excess plus 20% co-insurance payment)

The idea of adding compulsory co-insurance payments to your Pet Insurance policy is to try and help keep premiums lower.

Complementary treatments

Complementary treatments are therapies for pets which are prescribed alongside appropriate veterinary care, but aren’t standard practices themselves. Examples may include physiotherapy, osteopathy, hydrotherapy, and homeopathy

Congenital condition

Congenital conditions, often known as birth defects, are disorders in pets which are present at birth. These conditions can affect any part of the body or organ. Some may be caused by genetic factors, others by environmental factors, and some will be a combination of both.

Cruciate ligament

‘Cruciate’ means to ‘cross over’ or ‘form a cross.’ The cruciate ligament is two bands of tough fibrous tissue in a dog’s knee joint which connect the femur (thigh bone) to the tibia (shin bone). Cruciate ligaments stabilise the knee, preventing it from rotating or over-extending.

Cruciate disease is a common condition that can affect dogs. The ligament can deteriorate with age, weakening the joint, and may eventually rupture. Once the ligament is over-stretched or torn, the knee will become painful and unstable.

E

Exclusion period

An exclusion period is a period of time after you have purchased a pet insurance policy during which a claim for veterinary treatment can’t be made. The length of exclusion period may vary by policy. 

F

Fixed excess

A fixed excess is an amount you must pay towards treatment for each condition in a policy year when you make a claim. Your insurer will cover the remaining cost of the claim or any other eligible claims for the same condition during that policy period, up to your cover limit. 

H

Hereditary condition

Hereditary conditions, sometimes referred to as genetic disorders or inherited disorders, are medical conditions in a pet’s genes which are passed down from a parent to their young. Some conditions are present at birth, whilst others may develop later in life. 

I

Illness

This means any sickness, infection or disease suffered by your pet and diagnosed by a vet.

Inner limits

Inner limits refer to the annual payout limits which may apply to certain treatments as part of a pet insurance policy. Inner limits can apply to things like CT scans, complementary treatments, vet-prescribed food, dentistry, cruciate ligament treatments, and behavioural therapies.

For example, a policy offering a cover level of £4,000 might have an inner limit of £2,000 for MRI/CT scans. Once that £2,000 is reached within a policy period, there will be no more coverage for that particular procedure until the policy is renewed and the inner limit resets.

Make sure to read your policy’s terms and conditions and check for any inner limits before deciding on a policy. 

L

Lifetime policy

Lifetime pet insurance policies will cover your pet for their whole life and, so long as your policy is renewed annually, it’ll pay out for each new condition (subject to policy limits) each year.

Subject to exclusions, lifetime policies will pay out for illnesses or injuries linked to those you’ve previously claimed for if developed at a later date. Exclusions include pre-existing conditions or conditions which your pet was showing signs / symptoms of before the policy started.

Find out more about our lifetime policies.

M

Maximum benefit policy

A maximum benefit pet insurance policy covers your cat or dog for each injury or illness up to a specified limit, as agreed at the start of your policy.

Find out more about our maximum benefit policy. 

P

Pet(s)

The cat(s) or dog(s) named in your schedule of insurance.

Pre-existing condition

A pre-existing condition is any health problem your pet has had, or is having, treatment, medication or advice from a vet for before the start date of your policy. This also includes any undiagnosed injury (following an accident) or undiagnosed illness which your pet is showing any clinical signs or symptoms of before the policy starts. Examples of symptoms include things like loss of weight, vomiting, or lethargic behaviour.

S

Schedule

This is a document which contains all the details of your specific policy, such as:

  • Dates when your insurance starts and ends (we won’t cover incidents that happen outside these dates)
  • Details of your pet
  • Your level of cover
  • Any excesses (including any co-payment) that you have to pay
  • Any endorsements that apply (an endorsement changes the cover provided by your policy wording and is specific to you)
  • We will send you a Schedule when you set up or renew your policy, or if your policy is changed

V

Vet

This is a qualified veterinary practitioner holding a current registration with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and who works in clinical practice in the UK or their equivalent in any European Union country.