Forgive me if i've missed a thread before but I recently moved over here and am looking for pet insurance for my 3 persian cats.
Is there any particular website where insurance companies can be compared or do I need to go directly - if so who would anyone recommend?
Thanks
www.comparis.ch has pet insurers on its website.
I prefer to simply have a separate bank/post office account into which I put a set amount each month for any emergenices, including pets. Don’t get caught with the pet age restriction that some insurances have and it also earns a bit of interest each year. As little as 100 a month will net you 1,200 in a year and it’ll keep on growing if you don’t need to use it.
I'll assume the first.
Yes, there are insurance companies offering animal medical insurance -Animalia and Eponia are two that spring to mind.
HOWEVER:
Unlike in the UK, pet medical insurance still isn't so widely used here. One reason is that some plans have rather restrictive qualifications and limits. So if you go this route you will first need to assess the plan reading the fine print three times and then reading it again to determine whether or not this policy makes financial sense for you, given your individual situation and the age and health of your pets , or not.
Then determine if your preferred veterinarian accepts insurance, or not. Many don't, meaning if you have a policy you will pay out of pocket and then claim from the insurer.
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I took a look at insurance years ago and quickly decided that what was on offer then made no sense at all for us, given that I adopt senior dogs or dogs with medical issues. Only one of my dogs then would even qualify - and when I ran the numbers for her usual expenses found that it didn't really make financial sense.
But YMMV, your situation and that of your pets might be entirely different from mine. And who knows what plans offer today. So run the numbers for yourself.
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One of the pleasant surprises here is that broadly speaking routine veterinary care in Switzerland tends to be less expensive that in the US and UK. Specialist treatment will be expensive, but again - comparing notes with friends in the US and UK - still not as expensive.
(A recent example - Radiation for osteosarcoma here ran under CHF 2500. My friend in the UK, same treatment: GBP 6000.)
So IME paying out of pocket really doesn't hurt. Much.
Anyway, I chose not to insure any of my dogs, and although over the years have spent a lot on their care still feel that for us this is the correct financial decision. But to stress again: YMMV.
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But a word of caution to all pet owners: With or without insurance one should always have several thousands tucked away against an emergency.
There is nothing so heartbreaking as seeing an animal who could be successfully treated euthanized because the owner can't/won't pay for treatment.