Since the update, nonetheless, the drug has been listed in her coverage below dietary supplements, excluded from her protection. It additionally stated the insurer had the precise to change the phrases when renewing the coverage.
OneDegree instructed the Post it reviewed its pricing yearly and made changes relying on medical inflation.
It additionally up to date the record of medication coated periodically and excluded dietary supplements after consulting veterinary surgeons. It moved Pentosan to the record of excluded gadgets in January.
Inconsistency in insurance policies, hidden phrases and steep yearly will increase of premiums are among the many complaints of Hong Kong pet house owners who purchase insurance coverage protection for his or her pets.
The Consumer Council acquired 16 complaints associated to pet insurance coverage since 2021, together with 5 within the first 10 months of this yr.
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It stated worth and declare disputes have been a significant concern, together with one grievance a couple of veterinary clinic being excluded from the community protection, leading to a lowered declare ceiling.
The Insurance Complaints Bureau acquired six complaints about pet insurance coverage since 2021, primarily regarding coverage phrases and exclusions.
A Consumer Council report on 23 pet insurance coverage in March discovered that insurance policies for dogs of the identical age and breed might range by greater than HK$12,000 (US$1,529) a yr.
The premium for older dogs was greater too. Eighteen of the insurance policies had a most enrolment age of eight, whereas the opposite 5 accepted new functions for pets as much as 11 or 12 years old.
Pet insurance coverage often covers veterinary consultations, medicines, X-ray and laboratory checks, surgical procedure and boarding charges, with plans having totally different most payouts and co-payment necessities.
Unaware that it cost extra to insure an older pet, Azur was shocked when the premium for her second mongrel, Muimui, doubled from HK$763 to HK$1,459 when it turned 13.
Switching plans was not an possibility as most insurers don’t permit new sign-ups for dogs over eight years old.
“My dogs are old now,” she stated. “If they need anything to prevent them from being in pain for the rest of their life, I’m scared the company will just keep changing its policy until I can’t claim anything.”
Another pet proprietor, artistic designer Mandy Loo*, 35, stated she might solely declare HK$210 for her cat’s medical invoice of greater than HK$3,000.
Insurance for popular dog breed in Hong Kong varies by more than HK$12,000 a year
Insurance for popular dog breed in Hong Kong varies by more than HK$12,000 a year
Her eight-month-old British Shorthair, Master Bao, underwent checks after having flu signs and was recognized with a tickborne illness. The vet prescribed eye drops and antibiotics.
But her insurer rejected her claims for the complete invoice, saying the prescription was unrelated to the prognosis. She was reimbursed a further HK$100 for the antibiotics after she appealed.
A primary-time pet proprietor, Loo stated she purchased insurance coverage at a pal’s suggestion and didn’t do a lot analysis on the phrases.
“I thought kittens had weaker immunity when young, so I wanted to buy insurance for it, but it turned out that one visit to the vet was the cost of my annual premium,” she stated.
Most pet insurers in Hong Kong provide common insurance policies for dogs and cats, with most excluding sure breeds deemed harmful akin to Dogo Argentino, Fila Braziliero, Japanese Tosa, Pit Bull Terriers and Tibetan Mastiffs.
Insurer OneDegree, which gives protection for all breeds, stated the month-to-month premium for a 10-year-old Tibetan Mastiff, which has a median lifespan of 12 to fifteen years, is as much as HK$1,446 a month.
Deputy chief government Emily Chow Mei-wah stated though pet insurance coverage had been available for a very long time, solely 3 to five per cent of Hong Kong pet house owners insured their pets, in contrast with 40 per cent in Sweden and 25 per cent in Britain.
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“Many owners don’t realise how expensive vet fees can be until something happens to their pets, but then it is too late to sign up as those illnesses will be considered pre-existing conditions,” she stated.
She stated the typical pet proprietor spent HK$6,200 a yr on premiums throughout the first six years of their pets’ lives, however that sum might rise to greater than HK$10,000 because the animals aged.
“Because pets cannot tell us what is wrong, vets usually conduct many tests, like blood tests and ultrasound scans, bumping up the cost,” Wong stated.
Many diseases surfaced after pets turned 10 years old, she added, which was why many insurers rejected functions and even stopped renewing insurance policies for older pets.
Lawren Durocher-Babek, a veterinary surgeon from the United States who has been in Hong Kong for 5 years, stated that purebred dogs have been tougher to get protection for in contrast with combined breeds.
For instance, she stated, as golden retrievers have been recognized to have a better incidence of most cancers and Labrador retrievers usually had hip issues, “many insurance companies won’t cover any type of orthopaedic abnormalities in those dogs”.
She suggested house owners to purchase insurance coverage as early as attainable to keep away from their pet’s pre-existing situations being excluded for protection.
The Consumer Council highlighted that protection gadgets and premiums might change even when a coverage was renewed, and suggested pet house owners to match insurance policies earlier than shopping for.
It stated insurers might have a look at the previous declare data for a pet, its age or well being situation, and make changes accordingly.
*Name modified at interviewee’s request
