Avian insurance

[Sassy]

Hey everyone. What insurance do you have and how do you like it? What's the cost?

Thanks.

 

[PortaPerch]

People who know say you should buy insurance only for losses that would bankrupt you or cause financial hardship. Otherwise, self-insuring is best.

 

[Alisana]

When I looked into health insurance for my bird, I couldn't find any in Australia.

There were plenty in the US though; as well as discounted vet plans with membership.

While PortaPerch has a point with self-insuring, and it's a good idea to get into the habit of putting away money each week/month (which I have to do as we don't have insurance options AT ALL); pet insurance in my opinion is still something that is worth looking in to.

Be very careful that you get yourself a decent plan though. Some may only pay up to about $600-$1000 for a 'single' illness. Birds are tricky in that it is very easy for them to hide their illnesses - I heard of one lady who spent about $7000 on her bird only in the end to find out the bird had liver disease and was suffering liver failure. Her bird sadly passed away. In her case, her company only paid up to $800 I believe.

The emotional and financial burden on an owner can be very stressful without having to worry about trying to scrape together the cash as well. This lady was initially paying out of her own pocket, before going to her credit card, then when she still couldn't find a cure, she started taking out loans. It was very heartbreaking to hear of her story.

If you are looking at pet insurance, look for the following:

1. Make sure it is AVIAN insurance from a company that is familiar with birds. (Don't let a company sell you a plan designed for dogs/cats)
-- E.g. Should include things like beak trimming, nail clipping and yearly health check.
-- May also include something to cover you if the vet tech/vet gets bitten by the bird during these procedures. (One incident, a woman had her index finger crushed by a macaw trying a beak trim - she no longer has any mobility in her finger, and I am unsure if she sued; but it's something to be wary of)
2. Read the fine print. Some plans may cover you to "$10-$20k" in vet fees, but as with the above case, if it is a "single" illness, they may have a cap of $500 to $1000. Anyone who has had a very sick bird can attest to the amount of tests and antibiotics required to identify a disease and effectively treat it.
3. See if they have an age cap.
-- Larger parrots can live for 60 years. Some companies may only insure the first 10.
-- Be wary of companies that increase the premium each year - while that 1-5% premium increase for each age increase may seem small to begin with, if you are paying that 1-5% increase each year for 60 years, it'll end up very expensive.
4. Some companies may offer a 'flock discount'
-- E.g. If you have more than one bird with them; or even other animals
5. Look out for age caps and be prepared to 'prove' your age
-- While not common, some companies may shy away from insuring your "10 year old CAG/Macaw" - as they are familiar with the life expectancies of cats/dogs (re: 1st point, use an avian insurance company) so may refuse your bird, or charge more because it is "old"
6. Read the fine print. Again.
-- I know I said this already, but I can't stress how important fine print is.
-- Some companies are sneaky and if your bird has an illness without a cure, or not enough 'research' they may not insure (e.g. Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease)
7. Claim periods
-- Find out your claim period. Can you claim right away? Do you have to wait 6 months? (After signing up)
-- Do they pay for you (in which case the vet invoices them), or do you pay upfront, and they pay you back?
-- How long before your claim is paid? Will it be paid once you put your claim in, or do you have to wait for one to three weeks for processing? One month? Two months?
-- The reason I ask this, is if you are required to pay $2000 on the spot for emergency surgery, would you be in a financial position to support that, and not have that money for anywhere from one week to a month? Something to be conscious/aware of.
8. Do they increase premiums with each claim?
-- Some companies are fine and let you make as many claims as you want in a calendar year
-- Others don't like paying out, so will increase your premiums to 'compensate' for you claiming each time; or have a "no claims discount"
9. Associated Vets
-- Some pet insurance companies may only insure if you go with certain vets - and these vets may not be qualified avian vets; I am of the opinion that for anything avian related, you should always try and go to an avian vet (unless it is something mild, or you don't have one available). The list of "recommended" vets your pet insurance company may have, may not cover the vet you regularly visit
10. Shop around and compare
-- Compare prices, compare policies, compare claim periods. Refer to all above points
-- It's all fair and good to spend a small amount on pet insurance, but if you can't use it because of clauses and fine print, then what's the point? Make sure you read everything and anything you can. And when you sign up, ensure that you get a copy of the contract and CHECK to make sure that they have to notify you of any changes

Best of luck.