Pet Insurance NI

Looking for pet insurance NI that doesn’t exclude you because of where you live?

Pet insurance does depend a lot on your postcode. That’s because vet fees – the most significant part of a pet insurance policy – will vary depending on where you are. A vet in central London is likely to charge a lot more than one in a less expensive place.

While pet insurance in Northern Ireland shouldn’t see drastically different vet fees, you may well find cheaper insurance if you are outside an urban area like Belfast as these tend to come with higher vet fees.

But regardless of pricing, finding pet insurance NI is easy once you have found which insurers cover the whole of the UK, including Northern Ireland.

Emerald Life is one of those and our pet insurance product developed with Covea Insurance – Emerald Pet – is available throughout Northern Ireland. Get a quote today and see what we could offer your favourite companion.

You can get a quote online or call us now.

NI pet insurance policies from Emerald Pet offer four levels of flexible cover so you can choose the level you need for your dog or cat. Meanwhile we offer a range of add-ons to customize your pet insurance to suit you.

These optional add-ons include emergency boarding and minding fees, advertising and reward costs in case of theft or straying and even holiday cancellation.

Compare Pet Insurance NI

You are no doubt keen to compare pet insurance NI to find the best value pet insurance for you in Northern Ireland. Shopping around is certainly the way to go to find out what cover is available and how prices can vary between providers.

But don’t forget that no comparison site covers the whole market. The quotes you do receive may have been amended to allow a better price, but not necessarily a better policy. Some insurers will attempt to win more business from comparison sites by offering cheaper cover that is loaded with exclusions.

While a policy with lots of exclusions can be cheaper it may not actually offer better value if you find you are unable to claim for a lot of events, or have a high excess you have to contribute towards any claims.

Many pet insurers also save their best deals for customers who come direct and save them the advertising costs of comparison sites.

At Emerald Life we are not even on a lot of comparison sites so we can pass on our best deals to you.

In fact, with Emerald Pet we give you 10% off your first year’s premium as thanks for choosing us.

What To Look For

Type of Pet

Your first question when looking for pet insurance in Northern Ireland has to be about the animal you are getting cover. The vast majority of providers, including EmeraldPet, only cover dog and cat policies. Of course there are still specialist insurers for other types of pets like rabbits and birds.

But most pet policies are for your cat or dog. In fact, some brands tailor specific dog or cat policies.

You should also consider your pet’s breed, especially with dog insurance. Certain breeds of dog such as Pugs and French Bulldogs can be expensive to cover as they are at increased risk of developing medical conditions.

So if you are looking for an insurer that covers Northern Ireland, make sure they can also cover your breed of dog cost-effectively. If your policy quote seems high then always compare insurance quotes with other providers as the price to cover different breeds to vary.

Cover Level

Regardless of where you are in the UK, cover level should be one of your top priorities for insurance quotes in Northern Ireland as much as anywhere else. Pet insurance policies frequently come with a range of different cover levels to suit different needs.

You may find your dog is at greater risk of incurring higher expenses and so may opt for a higher cover level. More cover does have an obvious impact on price but at the same time you don’t want to under-insure and then be left with a large vet bill your insurance can’t fully cover.

Exclusions

Exclusions are an important part of any insurance policy as they clearly define what you can and cannot claim for.

However, they are also a feature that can vary drastically between providers and cover levels so be sure to check the situations you are actually covered for.

In particular you should think about medical conditions as most pet insurance policies exclude pre existing conditions.

Additional Perks

With insuring a house you can normally get a few nice extras like accidental damage or legal cover. But with pets it is different. They are your close companion whom you want to spoil, thus the opportunities to treat them through your pet insurance are aplenty.

With Emerald Pet we offer a range of complementary treatments including homeopathy, acupuncture, osteopathy, hydrotherapy, chiropractic treatments and herbal remedies.

While pet insurance typically focuses on health and medical needs, some policies also include help if your pet is lost or stolen. Emerald Pet offers missing pet rewards and advertising costs of up to £1500 per year.

Travel is another factor to consider if you plan on taking your pet abroad with you.

If you have a dog then you might also be interested in third party liability cover which can help if your dog causes harm or damage resulting in legal action.

What Is Covered?

Every pet will have a variety of medical needs with different levels of seriousness. It is unlikely that your pet insurance will pay for everything.

For instance, EmeraldPet does not cover vaccinations, spaying, castration, pregnancy or preventative treatment and this is quite typical of a lot of pet insurance policies.

We also exclide pre-existing medical conditions as well as any conditions that occur within the first 14 days of the policy.

However EmeraldPet does include training and behavioural treatments of up to £200 a year and clinical diets up to £200 a year.

You should also consider your pet travel requirements. EmeraldPet has an optional add-on to extend cover for up to 60 days per journey if you take your pet to Europe. Then we also offer extensions for emergency boarding and daily minding as well as holiday cancellation.

Excesses

An excess is the contribution you pay towards any claims made on your policy. With EmeraldPet these are different for a dog and cat as a dog typically has higher medical expenses. Also note that different types of claim may have a different excess.

For dogs on EmeraldPet these are:

• Whilst under 8 years old – £100
• Once 8 years old and over – £110 and a further 15% of the cost of the treatment

For cats on EmeraldPet these are:

• Whilst under 8 years old – £85
• Once 8 years old and over – £95 and a further 15% of the cost of the treatment*

Do I Need Pet Insurance NI?

There’s no doubt that pet insurance can seem tedious. You pay a regular premium that usually goes up and if you don’t claim that can seem wasted.

However, with treatment costs increasing unexpected vet bills are no small sum. The average pet insurance claim – and thus what you would pay if uninsured – now stands at about £800.

It is also crucial that you understand the significance of pre-existing conditions. If you were to wait until your pet was older before buying pet insurance then any ongoing conditions the pet develops are unlikely to be covered when you do get pet insurance.

That’s because insurers typically exclude pre-existing conditions from cover. Pet insurance that includes pre-existing conditions tends to be specialist and expensive.

So therefore when considering pet insurance NI it makes sense to buy sooner rather than later even if your pet is well because that is the best way to make sure future medical conditions are covered.

Any medical conditions arising within 14 days of buying the policy are also excluded from EmeraldPet, which is common with a lot of insurance providers.

Because of that it pays to make sure you choose the right insurer early on. Check policy wordings carefully and ask questions if needed – especially regarding policy exclusions as these tend to be difficult to grasp and can make a big difference in whether you can claim for an event or not.

How Do I Get Pet Insurance NI?

Getting insurance for pet medical costs is easy with EmeraldPet. Simply get a quote online or call us for help. Once you have received your quote be sure to check all the documentation to make sure our cover is right for you and your pets.

Compare Dog Insurance NI

If you’re looking to compare dog insurance NI then start with Emerald Pet. We don’t exclude you for living in Northern Ireland with your dog and nor do we hike your price as a result. For great value dog insurance NI start with Emerald Life.