Understanding ‘Routine Care cover’

In the pet insurance industry, there is a wide debate about whether or not including ‘routine care cover’ in policies is worth it, or is it just an added expense that many pet owners do not need?

Routine Care covers the procedures and check-ups that are the basics to keeping your furry friend safe and healthy. This includes all the necessities that are usually done to your pet at an early age, including desexing, microchipping, and vaccinations. As these are standard costs associated with pet ownership, it is usually expected that the owner takes these in to account in the initial costs of buying a pet.

Petcover believe that every pet deserves access to the very best veterinary treatment in the case of any unforeseen or unexpected injuries or illnesses that you otherwise would not be able to budget for. Routine care for your pet includes desexing, vaccinating and worming – things that can and should be budgeted for.

Many pet insurance companies will include routine care cover; however, you can end up paying higher premiums every month for something that can be a one-off operation or procedure. For example, some insurance companies can charge up to $10 extra every month which over the lifetime of your pet can add up quickly, especially when it is covering procedures such as microchipping and desexing which will only occur once and are far less than the expected total that you can end up paying.

When it comes to routine care, the initial one-off benefits do not outweigh the total amount of money that you will pay in extra premiums over the years. The procedures routine care covers are one-time operations that can cost as little as $25.

Petcover suggest reading the product disclosure statement of any pet insurance policy to make sure the cover suits your needs.